


Come Home with me Tonight

by wellthizizdeprezzing



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Escorts, F/F, Fake Dating, Minor Love Triangle, g!p Emma, prompt based fic, swanqueen endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2019-10-02 23:51:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 57,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17273510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellthizizdeprezzing/pseuds/wellthizizdeprezzing
Summary: In order to win back her ex-girlfriend, Emma hires an escort to make her jealous. However, the plan does not proceed as expected when the escort, Regina, falls in love with Emma. Emma is stuck in an unwilling love triangle and has to choose between her old lover, Lily, or a new love with Regina. If she doesn't pick and soon then she may just lose them both. G!P Emma.





	1. Weddings and Happily (N)ever Afters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Badgirl1311](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Badgirl1311/gifts).



Emma can't believe she's doing this right now. But yup, she sure as hell is, because this is her life as of now. One big fucking joke ever since Lily broke up with her two months ago. For reasons that were 'it's not you, it's me' but actually sounded a lot like 'it is you and not me.' And Emma was fucking depressed and lonely and she just wanted her girlfriend back.

She had called Lily up and down, promising she would be better, would change whatever it was that had pushed Lily away, but the woman had only meet Emma's promises with skepticism and then a radio silence before she entirely blocked Emma's number. So Emma had taken to messaging her, emailing her, even sending letters through the mail (and if that didn't speak volumes to her desperation,(though she liked to think of it as dedication to a cause and that cause being Lily taking her back) cuz who the fuck used snail mail anymore) until all those possible venues had been blocked too.

And now here she was yet on another scheme to get Lily back, and it all had to do with a wedding invitation. Mary, Emma's old roommate from college, was getting married to her high school sweet heart David. It was going to be the typical lavish and big romantic wedding since Mary and David both believed in true love like idiots. (Emma had believed Lily to be her one true love for life, but guess that wasn't a mutual feeling) And Lily was on the guest list, along with her new girlfriend, Aurora. Finding out that Lily had started dating someone so quickly after their five year relationship had ended was a huge blow to Emma's guts, and she had spent the whole weekend smoking weed and watching rom com movies while binge eating in bed. Oh, and she had cried. A lot.

But it's best not to remember that weekend at all.

So there was no way Emma was going to that wedding alone. She had to go to it, because it was Mary and Mary was an angel and didn't deserve Emma raining on her special day by not showing up or by being drunk on envy, sorrow and anger (and tons of free booze at the open bar) because of Lily's and Aurora's public canoodling. Thus, her 28 year old, slightly drunk, and sweat-pant wearing depressed ass self was perusing an escort site. That's right, Emma was about to drop the big bucks on an escort because there was no way in hell she was going to be able to find someone in three weeks time to bring to the wedding.

Sighing heavily, the laptop on her stomach shifted with her motions as she scrolled down the lists. She had checked out so many amazing profiles but no one really seemed to catch her fancy. Sure, they were all highly educated, expert conversationalists, great lovers, and all good looking, but she couldn't imagine being able to kiss any of them. Or in pulling it off successfully that she was interested in them. Lily's break up had ruined women for Emma. She hadn't been able to get hard thinking about sleeping with other women and so she just didn't. And that brought up another issue. Emma had an extra special friend down there in her pants that would make it difficult to explain to her escorts about. In case they slept together of course, not that they probably would.

The sad blue light of the screen reflected in her glasses, in her state of being, and was the only light in the living room, a place littered with take out containers and dirty clothes just lying around everywhere. She didn't have the energy to do much these days, including taking care of herself and her apartment.

Emma sighed out again. Maybe she should give up on this. It was a stupid idea anyways. Paying someone to show up with her to the wedding and rub it in Lily's face how happy Emma was with them in hopes it might make Lily realize what she was missing out on was pathetic. And who knew if it would ever work?

But just as Emma was about to exit the page, an image caught her eye.

It was a brunette haired woman, exactly Emma's type, and with the most intense pair of eyes Emma had ever seen. It was like they could see inside her very soul. Inadvertently they sent a shiver down Emma's spine. Her eyes flicked down to the catch phrase under the escort's picture. 'They call me the evil queen for good reason.'

A bad girl. Even more Emma's type.

Emma had been attracted to Lily because she had this sort of dark aura around her, and because she had in fact once used to be a petty thief (proof in how she easily stole Emma's heart) and still rode motorcycles well past the speed limit and wore leather jackets. Also, Lily could be a bitch and wouldn't hesitate to cuss a ho out. Which honestly, was hot. Emma liked a woman who was sure of herself and who wouldn't hesitate to protect those she cared for.

Emma was urged to click on the link below the brunette escort's picture and her whole profile popped up. Regina Mills, was her name and Emma let it silently roll of her tongue before she sat up more alertly and began to peruse her profile in detail.

Regina had a degree from Yale, in business and economics. She was currently 30 years old and her hobbies included mixed martial arts, drink making, painting, piano, horseback riding, traveling, and reading up on anything and everything. She really did have expensive tastes, like a queen, because from the drink and food preferences listed, Emma had no idea what they were. "Foie gras?" she muttered. "What the hell is that?"

Still, she felt like giving this woman a try. She picked up her phone, took a steadying inhale and dialed the number.

"Hello, you've reached Wonderland Women, an escort service of women for women, how may we service you?" a pleasant voice sounded on the other end.

"Uh," Emma croaked out very intelligently, "I'm looking to hire a woman for this event I'm going to."

"And do you know which woman you would be interested in?" the operator's voice was very businesslike yet friendly.

"Yea, I'd like Regina Mills."

"Ah, the Evil Queen."

"Yea, her," Emma said, feeling like the operator was stalling. Why was she stalling?

"You sound like a first time caller, so I'm going to quickly explain that each woman plays to a certain type of stereotype of women. Regina's more of darker type. Since this is your first time, you might want to start of with someone who is 'innocent' or openly friendly."

What the hell did darker type even mean? Was it a racial thing? Regina did look a shade Hispanic, another thing she and Lily shared in common. "What do you mean by darker type?"

"Did you read about our ranking system here?"

Emma may have skipped that. "No. I didn't."

"We scale our girls on that, and it goes from white to dark. That doesn't have anything to do with race, contrary to how it may sound. It has to deal with as I mentioned before, the stereotype or character an escort typically uses in their services and it also deals with their sexual nature. Those who are white, cater to basic, almost vanilla like sexual deeds, whereas those who are in the gray area are in a gray zone meaning they don't mind doing something new, or trying something more kinky, whereas those labeled as darker are open to almost any kink and style, though just because they are dark doesn't mean they will be open to the option of having sex with every customer."

Emma let that sink in; it was sure of a lot of information to take in.

So Regina catered to the more wild side of sex. Emma was not at all opposed to that, but she didn't need Regina for sex, she just needed her there for the wedding. To show Lily how well off she was and what Lily was missing out by not dating her.

"I'm not really looking for sex. I just need her for an event. And I'll be fine with her character type." Emma still wasn't sure what was up with that- she assumed it was the way escorts protected their real selves or something.

"Alright then. Please make sure to fill out the application link in the website and within three business days you'll have your reply."

"Awesome," Emma smiled and hung up, her heart still beating heavily in her chest. This was it. She'd done it. She'd ordered an escort. There was no going back now.

* * *

Emma was nervous as all hell. She'd been cleared by the agency and her order had gone through. She'd been in touch with Regina through the company on the information she would need for the wedding- such as the time, the place, the type of dress and names of people, etc. But now that the actual day was upon Emma, she could not stop freaking out. Her stomach was a tangled wire of nerves and each time she thought she had successfully untangled one nerve, another one tangled together and proceeded to torment her.

What if Regina decided not to show up last minute? What if everyone knew she was an escort? What if the plan didn't work?

Emma was going to sweat out her outfit at this rate and she had spent a lot of money on it. She was currently wearing a white suit, tailored to a tight fit, and with a blue tie to bring color to the piece. Her hair was done back in a ponytail and she'd curled the ends to bring some volume. She was sparse on the make up only because she was never good at it and she didn't want to fuck up her face by trying.

She paced a little bit faster in front of the wedding venue, glaring at her watch as if it held the answers to why Regina was not here yet. Inside the party celebrations were going on. Mary and David had exchanged wedding vows already. Emma had sat in on that, shed a happy tear or two (none of those tears had to do with Lily's hand being held in Aurora's, absolutely uncorrelated) and then booked it out of the church before Lily and Aurora could see she was currently alone. But the prospect of someone coming eventually was enough to keep her going.

"Waiting on someone?" someone called out to her, and Emma's heart lept in her chest, momentarily thinking it could be Regina but no, surely the woman didn't sound like an alcoholic midget.

"Hey Leroy. How many drinks are you on?" Emma greeted one of Mary's friends. They all knew the short man and his penchant for drinking himself under the table especially on special occasions on these.

"Only one, surprisingly," he said, fixing his askew tie. "I've been doing good recently." He hiccuped and Emma tilted her head, not at all convinced by his false words.

"Okay okay, so like one bottle," he corrected when he saw Emma's look. "Still better than what I used to do. But enough about me, who you waiting for?"

"Just someone special," Emma said, shrugging and not comfortable in sharing this with Leroy. He would tell Mary and then Mary would accidentally gossip about this to someone and then everyone would know- and no, wait, that was actually a good thing. The faster word got to Lily, the better.

"She's this amazing girl I met. Not too long ago actually. But it just...we just sort of clicked you know. She's funny, and smart, and really accomplished," Emma put on a smile and began fake gushing.

"Where did you two meet?"

"Oh, you know. A bar."

"I'm actually not the bar type," came a deep sultry voice from behind Emma that had her freezing up. The steady click of heels drew closer, each resounding sound sending little chills down her spine. She slowly turned around and there she was, Regina Mills in the flesh.

Her hair was shorter than the profile picture but she looked amazing in quite the same way; no, in fact she looked even better in real life.

Her hair was done in loose curls, a few draped in front of her face and framing her impeccable and royal features and the rest up in a bun. Her makeup was done to match the strapless and low cut yet tastefully classy blue dress she was wearing, long enough that it trailed on the ground. She was able to walk in it effortlessly, gliding along the floor. The blue matched the exact shade of Emma's tie and how Regina was able to pull that off without ever seeing it was a mystery.

But it wasn't her figure that rendered Emma speechless, though there was barely any question about the appeal behind her curvy hips and those breasts barely held back by cloth. It was her eyes, intense and dark and picking apart every piece of Emma in seconds and figuring out her whole life story.

Emma must have been quiet for a long time because Leroy whistled loudly. "Sure got yourself a catch there, Swan. I'll leave you two to it," he said and then ducked back into the venue, slipping past an exiting man who was going out for a smoke. When he caught sight of Regina his neck snapped back to follow her but she paid him no mind.

"Are you alright?" Regina asked, with faint amusement quirking up her lips.

That finally brought Emma back to life and she sucked in a huge breath as her face flushed red. "Fine actually. You just look even better than the photos."

"Of course I do, dear. Otherwise I wouldn't be in this profession."

And oh, there was that hint of arrogance that Emma found so damn appealing in women.

"Uh, well, yea," Emma managed out and internally winced. Why couldn't she speak right, damn it? Regina only looked ever more amused by that.

"I must say, a wedding for our first date. Quite presumptuous aren't you?" She stepped closer and Emma could smell her perfume from up here

"Presumptuous?" was Emma not supposed to take an escort to a wedding? Then why had Regina agreed? "I didn't mean to offend-"

Regina shook her head at this. "I'm only teasing. But I can see that you're not quite able to handle that yet."

This made Emma flush. "Oh, right." She felt stupid now.

"Shall we go in?" Regina indicated with her head to the venue from which terrible party music was blasting out.

"Yea, let's."

At this Regina slid an arm on the small of Emma's back, tugging her closer to her. This startled Emma's already frazzled nerves and she nearly yelped out loud. This time a chuckle escaped Regina's throat. "If you want to convince people we're a couple, than we have to act like one."

"R-right," Emma stammered, feeling dumb. "I've never hung out with an escort before. I'm not sure of the rules of conduct. The company sent me some guidelines but each person is different you know and I don't want to assume that you're comfortable with what the general comfort level that's reestablished by the company is."

Emma knew she was rambling but she tended to do that a lot when she didn't know what to say or do.

Regina blinked at her, intrigue in her eyes. She looked genuinely touched by the idea. "That's very...sweet of you," she settled on. "But do not worry. Let me take the lead. You just follow."

"Got it. No problem." Emma nodded her head swiftly and they went up the stairs to the building.

Being gallant, Emma held the door open for Regina who went in first. Everyone's eyes were drawn to her for she was not only a new face but a very pretty new face. Regina wasn't put out by this. "Sorry I'm late," she said, soaking in the attention and pulling Emma to her side. "Work." She shrugged. "Do get back to your dancing," she dismissed and pulled Emma towards a table that had the placard Emma and Regina printed out. The guests started gossiping and a small crowd had gathered around Leroy who was no doubt aggrandizing the story Emma had told him and milking it for all it was worth.

But before they could get to the table they were intercepted by Mary and David. "Oh Emma!" the brunette crowed. "So this is who your new girlfriend is. She's so lovely!" Mary grabbed Regina's hands in her own and smiled at her. "It's so lovely to see you. Emma has been keeping her lips tight around you so we barely know anything but now I can see why! She wanted to hide the splendor of you all to herself."

Ah shit, Emma was hoping to avoid these two. Mary would drain her of every detail she had about Regina and Emma didn't even have a back up plan as to how they met. She fidgeted next to Regina, lips smiling painfully.

"Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you all and to be out in the open as Emma's girlfriend. And I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the ceremony. Work is very demanding and they don't really give us sick days."

"Where do you work?"

"I work for Gold-Mills Incorporated."

"I've heard of that firm. They're such a huge name. How did you come to work there?" Mary began to pull Regina over to a table. "Come, sit down. Tell us more."

"I wouldn't want to impose. This is your special day after all. Why don't you tell me more about how you meet your husband, David."

What a save! Emma could relax now. Whenever David and Mary talked about their romance, they would get lost and wrapped up in it and on correcting who was the cuter one and who did this and who did that. It would keep them busy and their attentions off of Emma and Regina which was the main point.

As the newly married couple chattered on, Regina listened attentively, nodding her head and inserting commentary here and there. Emma just sat there quietly. She had heard this story a grand total of Too Many Times and she would gladly never hear it again.

Thankfully the two women were spared when a waiter pulled up to Mary and whispered into her ear about something involving food. Mary immediately jumped up, pulling David with her. "Excuse us ladies, we have something to attend to. Please enjoy the rest of your evening. It was lovely to meet you," David, being the perfect gentleman, kissed Regina's hand and then went after Mary.

"So, that's the married couple," Emma said because she didn't know what else to.

"They're something else," Regina said without any judgment in her voice. "How do you know them?"

"I roomed with Mary in college."

"And was she always this big on...cheesy love motifs?" Regina asked, looking around the venue. Everything was done up in pinks and other pastels and the staff was wearing Disney costumes. Mary and David themselves had been dressed up as the legendary Snow White and Prince Charming.

The bridesmaids and best men were also dressed up like princes and princesses and Emma was glad she hadn't been chosen as one. She would hate wearing a pink frilly dress.

And the music was all a mix of music from Disney movies.

And Taylor Swift. Emma would never understand Mary's love of that woman's music.

"Yea, she's a huge believer in true love. But with a man like David, who wouldn't be. He's basically a prince- probably what Disney used to model their princes off of." Emma sighed and took a sip of her water, wishing it was something stronger instead. "I used to believe in love too...but..." Emma trailed off here, unable to continue.

"The ex-girlfriend," Regina nodded her head sagely and it made her earrings jingle and sparkle in the light of the candles on the table. They looked expensive; Emma wondered how much they cost. "Tell me more about her. What exactly is your plan?"

"I'm trying to get her back. I want her to see what she's missing out on."

"Why the break up in the first place. I don't mean to be forthcoming," Regina tacked on tastefully when Emma didn't respond immediately. "It's just a good frame of reference for me to have in case we cross paths with her and I need to rub it in her face that you're actually not bad in those regards, or lacking."

Emma shook her head. "I don't actually know why she dumped me. She just said it was her and not me, but I know it's me, because she's already out there, dating someone else." Emma glanced around the room and found the table with her ex lover. Lily looked stunning. She looked like memories, like comfort. Like something old and worn and trusted. Emma didn't want to date someone new. She wanted her safety back. She wanted...Lily.

Lily was laughing at something Aurora said and holding onto her, so close to her they might as well be sitting on each others laps. Emma ground her teeth. How dare Aurora touch her Lily. That should be Emma in her place.

Regina silently followed Emma's line of sight and a look of understanding flashed on her face. "Ignore them for now. Surely you wouldn't want to leave me unattended. I came all this way out to see you." A playful quality to her voice, Regina placed a hand on Emma's and relaxed it. Emma hadn't even noticed that she had been gripping the fork on the table tightly.

"Uh, right. So what do you wanna talk about?"

"I don't want to talk right now. I want us to dance. Come with me," Regina got up, held out her hand. Emma hesitated. "I'm not that good of a dancer."

"It's a slow song. We don't have to do much but sway."

"Okay." Emma took Regina's hand finding it so soft and warm. Her fingers slipped easily into Emma's and Emma found it comforting to feel the weight of someone else's hand in hers. Regina took them to an open spot on the dance floor and lifted Emma's arms into the correct positioning on the small of her back while she intertwined hers behind Emma's neck.

Emma was suddenly overcome by the intimacy of these actions. Feasibly she knew that this is what Regina was paid for- to act like they were lovers. But it came so easily to her and Emma felt like she was the one messing this all up, making it seem fake.

"Just relax," Regina whispered, as if reading Emma's thoughts. "Enjoy the music and sway with me."

Emma nodded her head, throat dry. It was dim on the dance floor, making it all the more intimate. But Emma tried to not let that bother her. She was hoping Lily would finally notice her and that they could talk. Emma hadn't heard Lily's voice in months. But she was too cowardly to seek her out herself.

One song became two, then three and Regina drew them closer, leaning her chin on Emma's shoulder. Emma could smell her perfume more intensely from here, could feel the steady heat of her, and was filled with the longing to hold on tighter to her, to lick her way up her throat and taste her scent for herself.

She blamed it on the loneliness and on how many nights she and Lily had stayed embraced like this. "We never danced, me and Lily," Emma finds herself saying and Regina pulls back, rests her forehead on Emma's as the blonde averts her eyes and babbles on. "She wasn't the dancing type and neither was I. We spent only nights touching like this, caught in the embrace of the dance of sleep."

Emma doesn't know why she's rambling like this, but something about Regina's touch has sparked the need to.

"You cared for this Lily a lot." It's an inquiry, a probe to see how far Emma will open up.

"I still do. That's why I'm fighting to get her back." Emma shifts her hands higher. Somehow they had dipped dangerously low to Regina's ass. "It was a mistake for us to break up. All I have to do is prove that to her." Emma knows she sounds like a love sick fool (newsflash, she is one) but she can't care right now. "Have you ever been in love?"

Emma thinks it's too deep of an answer and that Regina won't say anything but after several beats she does. "Just once."

"What happened?"

"They died." And there is so much bitterness in that that it chokes Emma up and she doesn't ask or say anything more.

The songs become more cheery and fast paced and they decide it's time to get off the dance floor. "Food?" Emma asks, because personally she's starving.

"What do they have?"

"I think it's a medieval style buffet, since all the princesses and princes were from the castle ages."

"Delightful," Regina says with a twist of her lips. "I've always wanted to eat like a peasant."

Emma laughed at this. "I forgot, you're a queen. Evil queen to be exact. That's what it said on your profile."

"It does. I'm surprised it didn't scare you away. You don't seem like...the type to be able to handle me," Regina said coyly and with a little flick of her tongue. Emma found her heart squeezing at that. She wanted Regina to do it again.

"They tried to warn me, but it's not like that would stop me. You happen to be my type."

"I'm glad to hear I am your type-" but whatever else was going to be said was stopped when Lily and Aurora came up in their sojourn to the buffet table.

Emma had been hoping to bump into Lily all night long but now that she had...well, everything she had wanted to say flew out her mind.

Lily had her hair straightened and falling over her bare shoulders while she wore a black number that hugged her petite frame, and heels that made her a head taller than Emma.

"Emma," Lily stopped, leaving a good three feet of space between them.

"Lily," Emma breathed out, soaking her in. She was just like Emma remembered. Beautiful, and perfect and just...fuck, Emma missed her so bad. The way she had said Emma's name made her heart melt even though it had been said cautiously, casually.

There was a long silence in between them, Lily clearly not having expected Emma to come to the wedding at all.

"Darling," Regina purred, swooping in to save the conversation, and wrapping an arm around Emma's. "Are you going to introduce us?"

"Uh, right," Emma snapped free. "Regina this is my girl- ex-girlfriend," Emma quickly amended. "And Lily, this girlfriend is Regina, I mean, this is Regina my girlfriend." Emma's cheeks were flushed and she bit her tongue. Whelp, so much for being smooth, for blowing away Lily with her sharp looks and manners. She may look good in her suit but she did not sound good.

Lily let her gaze drift over to Regina, finally noticing her for the first time. Regina held out her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Lily did not shake hands, just glared at the offer.

Regina retracted her hand. "I suppose you don't feel that way." She didn't look hurt but she did jerk her chin up a bit higher, sizing Lily up while Lily sized her up.

"This is Aurora. She's my girlfriend." Lily practically growled this out.

Aurora, the blonde next to Lily waved her hand in greeting. She was wearing bell bottom jeans, a bejeweled top and her long blonde curly hair was left freely down her back. On her head was a little head band that encircled her forehead and had little beads and feathers attached to it.

She looked extremely out of place and Emma recalled hearing a tid bit about how she was some nature activist or something.

Judging by Regina's sour look she was not impressed by the blonde.

"Well, I'm glad to see you've moved on. I was worried that you'd keep trying to contact me and I'd have to get a restraining order on you," Lily said.

Emma laughed too loudly at this, uncomfortable at having that brought up. "Don't worry about that. I was only calling to try and apologize." She didn't want Regina thinking she was some sort of creep. But there was no distaste on Regina's face just something resembling anger.

"Then we should do a dinner. As an apology or peace offering of sorts," Aurora offered.

Wow, Emma fucking hated the sound of Aurora's voice. She couldn't imagine a whole dinner listening to that, or how Lily fucked Aurora and enjoyed the moans that voice could make. It was so wispy and whimsical and weak. She looked like a giant child. Her eyes were big and wide and she looked perpetually surprised.

What about that was more appealing than Emma's perpetually down turned lips? Or that one brow that was higher than the other?

"Yea, you can bring your girlfriend to the dinner. We can all get to know each other better," Lily added though she didn't look thrilled at the idea, and less so at Emma's girlfriend.

"It's fine. We don't need to do that. We actually have plans, so we won't be able to attend."

"We didn't even tell you what day," Aurora said and Emma shook her head.

"Regina works for Gold Mills Incorporated. She doesn't really get out much." Emma was floundering in this conversation and she knew it but what else could she do? She couldn't just awkwardly run away, though every cell in her body was telling her to do just that.

"Then how'd she'd meet you?" Lily asked not at all kindly.

And there it was, that damn dreaded question. Emma blanched and could feel a drop of sweat bead down her back.

"In a bar," Regina intercepted, laying a hand on the small of Emma's back. "Funnily enough of all places. I was looking to unwind one night and Emma was out there, surrounded by some girls. Our eyes meet across the room and it was attraction at first sight. I love blondes, especially sporty types and the gallant and noble sort too. It wasn't easy getting her attention from the other girls but I do love a good challenge."

That was either an impressive guess or a perceptive analysis. How did Regina know she was sporty? Did she give off gay sporty vibes? And Emma was unflappably noble so much that it had gotten her into fights protecting others honor or some shit like that when she was younger.

"And I only pretended to not be interested in you, but as soon as you walked up to me, I could think of no one else but you." Emma added, smiling softly at Regina to make it all the more convincing. Regina turned her attentions to the two in front of her.

"So, how did the two of you meet? At the local homeless shelter?" Regina quickly became sharp, though it was almost hard to tell she was being rude for her tone of voice was even but her words were weapons.

Aurora perked up at this. "I do in fact volunteer there from time to time. I feel passionate about those who have less. I aim to help them."

"Maybe you should help yourself first. I wasn't aware the theme today was 1960s peace march," Regina said, eyeing Aurora's outfit up and down.

"It isn't. It's Disney," Aurora said in that laid back voice of hers, entirely clueless. "But guests don't have to dress up like that."

"Oh, so you just wear hippie clothes by choice," Regina smiled tightly. "Can't say it's a smart choice but what do I know. I only wear Vera Wang designer dresses to weddings. Clothing that is appropriate."

Aurora's brow furrowed and she looked utterly confused as to the words coming out of Regina's mouth. But Lily fully knew what was going on.

"Well, at least my girlfriend's not a snobby uptight bitch who wouldn't know fun if it bit her in the ass," Lily jumped in, wrapping an arm protectively against Aurora.

"Glad to see your girlfriend isn't the type to dump someone out of the blue without an explanation and then go sleep around with others." Regina paused here, and pretended like she was struck by sudden realization. "Oh no, wait. That's  _you._ "

Lily was positively fuming right now and both Aurora and Emma shared concerned stares with each other. They did not like where this was going.

"You bitch! How dare you-!"

"Babe, peace and love," Aurora inserted herself between the two spitting brunette's and grabbed Lily's shoulders. Lily looked ready to pull off her earrings and go.

"She doesn't know anything about me, she doesn't get to judge me!" Lily shouted and they were starting to draw a crowd.

"I know enough about you that I don't quite care for getting to know more about you," Regina sneered. She was standing coolly, back regal while Lily was struggling in Aurora's hold, trying to get closer to Regina.

Emma decided this was as good a time to stop this as ever. She didn't want to ruin Mary's wedding. "Come, Regina. Let's go get a drink," she placed a gentle hand on Regina's wrist and Regina blinked, as if the touch was bringing her back to reality.

"Yes, of course dear," she smiled warmly at Emma. "Let's leave the two of these uncultured swines to their own devices."

"I'll show you uncultured swine!" Lily screamed out while Aurora shot them an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry. But see you at dinner plans?" the blonde asked and Emma shrugged in answer to that. When they had gotten far enough they sat down at the bar. Emma had lost her appetite thanks to that altercation. Emma sullenly raised two fingers for drinks and sighed heavily into her glass when she got it. Regina picked up her drink but didn't drink it.

"I'm sorry, if I made things worse. But I couldn't stand to see you being berated by that woman-"

"It's fine, honest. Lily does have a temper on her and I kind of pissed her off by trying to get in touch with her all those months when she clearly wanted nothing to do with me. And I found it fucking hilarious when you tore Aurora a new one. I don't very much care for her." Emma took a sip now. "She does dress like a hippie. How does Lily go from a regular dressed girl like me to someone who probably walks barefoot all over town."

"People make dumb decisions all the time. Perhaps her dumping you was her dumb decision," Regina suggested.

Emma sighed out again. Her clothes were feeling stiff on her and seeing Lily had drained her. She wanted to go home and curl up on her bed. "I think I'm gonna head out."

"You don't want to stay the rest of the night?" Regina seemed shocked by that.

"Nah. I think I did what I came here to accomplish." Yup, one ticked off Lily, check. She was supposed to make Lily like her more not less. But it hadn't worked out.

"You still have me for several more hours."

"I don't suppose you want to go home early?"

"I don't want to you to feel like you got cheated out of your money. You paid a lot, Emma." Regina laid a hot palm against Emma's hand, edging into Emma's space.

What else could she do with Regina? "You wanna go back to my place-er scratch that," Emma recalled with horror that her apartment was in a horrid state right now. "You wanna go walk around the town? See what's happening?"

"Whatever it is you want, Emma. I'm yours for the evening." That statement carries a heavy weight with it and Emma feels it roll down her back. She tosses back her drink in one go. "Okay, let's go on an adventure."

Slipping her hand into Regina's, they leave the wedding behind.


	2. For Her(e) and For Me

They ended up wandering the city at night (which wasn't a first great date and certainly not the way Emma would choose to impress a lady but she was too hung up on Lily to care) stopping by in a park out of the way of the busy city streets.

Regina didn't question any of Emma's choices, just followed her dutifully on, keeping up a casual conversation the whole time. They talked about Emma's job (she was a dentist, an odd choice given her less than stellar youth) about her favorite color (blue, because she loved water- it calmed her for many reasons) her favorite foods (grilled cheese without a doubt) and her favorite drink (hot chocolate). A lot of these questions were purely for Emma. Regina didn't give much of herself and Emma respected that. She knew that the woman had to keep her information secret for safety purposes.

When they got to the park, the benches were a little wet from how it had drizzled this evening so Emma spread out her jacket onto the seat so Regina could sit on it and not ruin her dress.

"You don't have to do that," she voiced, and she looked touched by the gesture. "You'll ruin it."

Emma shrugged. "It's not like I'm going to be wearing it again any time soon." She sat down on the bench, one that overlooked the canal the park had a great view of.

"Don't say that. You never know."

"Your feet look like they hurt. And really, I don't mind," Emma smiled to let Regina know she was sincere. Regina gave in, deciding there was no point in arguing this. As soon as she was off her feet she let out a relieved sigh. They had been killing her and she thought she had been doing a good job of hiding it.

Emma was oddly perceptive of such small details.

"I like looking out on water. It's so nice. And calm, even like this when it's so inky black with the night sky," Emma softly murmured. It was a holdover from her foster home days. Whenever she'd feel overwhelmed she'd run out and come to the park and stay here until she calmed down. Watching the waves swell and lull made her realize how insignificant her issues were in the grand scheme of a giant body of water that could swallow her up like nothing.

"That almost sounded poetic," Regina commented as she began to slide her feet out of her shoes. "I unfortunately do not have time for such small pleasantries."

"Is it true that you work for Gold-Mills Incorporated?" It was the work spot every graduating senior in economics or business wanted to get but few did.

Regina gave a small huff of amusement here. "Yes I do. But not by choice."

"What, do they hold you hostage there? I wouldn't be shocked. Robert Gold looks like he kidnaps little children," Emma said with a slightly stricken face. She'd seen the man in many newspapers and frankly he looked like he locked people up in his basement for fun.

This actually got an outburst of laughter from Regina. It was so sudden that it startled the both of them and she had to clamp a hand over her mouth to silence it. It was rich and deep and made the hairs on the back of Emma's neck raise.

"I'm sorry- I shouldn't laugh at that. Kidnapping is a serious issue," Regina waved her hand in the air as if to dispel her previous amusement but she could do nothing to stop the quirk of her lip. "But he does look sketchy. Just never knew exactly what kind of vibe he gave off until now." Emma secretly felt pleased she had gotten this woman to laugh. Given her own shock it seemed Regina didn't laugh too much. Emma wanted to hear it again.

"But that's cool, that you work there. What do you do?"

"Make business deals and the likes. Handle finance. Nothing I could explain openly. Company secrets."

Emma was tempted to ask, why did Regina work as an escort if she had such a lucrative and from the sound of it, high position, in a respectable company. But she clamped down on her tongue. That was too personal she felt. It was time for a topic change.

"I can give you a foot massage," Emma offered, blurting that out before she could stop herself. She felt her cheeks go pink (because what kind of an idiot was she to offer a random woman a foot massage?)

Regina, who had been rubbing a hurting ankle, shook her head. "It's alright, really." She seemed surprised by Emma's offer.

Instead of accepting that and moving along, Emma's mouth for some reason felt the need to continue upon this topic. "Seriously, I have magic hands, many have told me. I give a mean massage." She wiggled her hands up, while her cheeks flared up in heat even more. (Why oh why, was she so insistent on this? Maybe she was so desperate for human contact of the womanly variety that she was pressing this issue)

This time Regina nodded her head in amusement. "If you insist. These heels may look nice but they are hell on the feet." Regina maneuvered herself on the bench and plopped her feet into Emma's lap. Her toes were painted a light neutral color and Emma found them endearing. She slowly began to massage Regina's right foot, working her way through the heel, the arch and then the pad of her toes. The only sound between them was the small lapping of the waves, the song of crickets, the light breeze blowing around them, and the small sounds of appreciation Regina gave out.

"God, you weren't lying when you said you have magic fingers," Regina said as her upper body visibly relaxed. Her lids were lowering and she looked ready to go to bed.

"That's not the only thing my fingers are good for," Emma said cheekily before she shut down the flirt. "Uh, not like you'll see that- or uh, have me do that- that just uh, no sex. No sex. I'm not trying to make that happen between us. It's just a date." She flushed again and ducked her head, wondering why she could not speak properly tonight. She didn't dare look up. Regina was quiet.

"You know," the woman started slowly and in what was a deeper pitch than before, "I wouldn't say no if you asked."

Emma's head jerked up at this and her fingers stopped moving. "What?" she squeaked out like some terrified little mouse, because the way Regina was looking at her, like some big predator with dark eyes and parted lips was very much in the way a cat looked at a mouse before it swooped in to eat it. And with the way the shadows caused by the lamp post fell over her, it gave her eyes a sharp glinted glow, full of mischievous intent.

"You're not bad looking- quite the opposite. You look toned which means you take care of yourself. You've got long luscious blonde hair and your green eyes are striking. In fact you've got this sporty air about you that I really like in my women."

"You like women?" Emma continued to squeak, apparently in awe and surprise at every word that kept getting uttered out of Regina's mouth.

Regina chuckled richly at this. "Would I be working an escort service for women if I didn't?"

"Uh, no, I guess not," Emma fluttered out as her heart beat faster in her chest.

"And your manners are certainly endearing. I can say I've never ever received a foot rub from someone before and here you are, letting me sit on your white jacket so I won't dirty my dress, while massaging my feet because they hurt, despite the fact you don't know me and we are perfect strangers."

The more Regina pointed this all out, the more Emma didn't know what to do with herself (and she barely knew what to do even when she wasn't having a gay moment). "I've dealt with people who were far ruder and more demanding than you and who've treated me like shit frankly, just because I'm an escort."

"I don't see why they should," Emma interrupted. "Just because you're an escort doesn't mean your less. You have to be highly educated in order to become one. It's not like being a stripper. "

"Try telling that to them." Regina sat up a little, her voice going back up to her normal register. "We even had men call a few times impersonating girls in hopes that they could go on a date with us. We'd agree to it and then imagine their surprise when our male manager would show up and proceed to go on a date with them instead."

Emma laughed at that. "That's ridiculous. How do you get away with it?"

"We tell the man that he can get locked up for fraud or identity theft if we let this leak, especially if it comes out to the public he was using an escort service. And so he can either go on the humiliating date with the manager or not and face a different humiliation. In this way it sort of makes them think twice about conning other places like ours this way," Regina answered.

"That must be so amusing to watch," Emma shook her head at the story. Her fingers began to move on Regina's right foot again and she could feel Regina watching her considerately. "Tell me more about Lily."

Emma was not expecting that so her fingers slowed down a minuscule. "What about her?"

"Why are you fighting so hard to get her back?"

"Because I love her." Said so earnestly.

"Why?"

Regina's questions were curt and it looked like she had no intention of easing up on Emma not even in fear of being too rude. Emma shrugged again. "How does one fall in love anyways. It's all just random and uncalculated. But if you really want to know, I fell in love with her almost at first sight. We had a mutual friend, Ruby. Ruby introduced us and I didn't like Lily at first. Mainly because we didn't really talk much the first time we hung out. I thought Lily was pretty. But then we hung out the second time in a big group and during it we started to really talk with one another. We just...sorta clicked. And we hung out together alone after everyone left. And I knew as I was going home that day that I was in love with her.

"She wasn't as immediately in love with me, and I had to do some pursuing before she finally got interested but then we got together and we both loved each other. We just worked so well. Yea, sure, we had arguments, but what couple doesn't?"

Regina listened to this patiently. "You believe in love at first sight?"

"It's happened a couple of times to me, with varying degrees of success." Emma briefly recalls the pathetic crushes she always got on bitches at her schools only for them to laugh at her or not even know she was alive. "I guess...not first sight exactly. It's more like an infatuation. But continuing to see that person and talk to them can lead to love. So actually, in that sense, in the sense of it leading to true love, yes, I believe in love at first sight."

Emma truly believed in those words. And she knew that even true love was not without troubles. Like Regina had said prior, Lily could have made a dumb mistake dumping Emma. Everyone made dumb mistakes. Emma wasn't going to give up on Lily just yet.

Regina was looking at Emma softly now. It was a look Emma had never seen before and it looked oddly comforting to see it on the older woman's face. "I think that love at first sight is possible too. But it's not always opportune, is it?"

Emma tipped her head to the side. "What do you mean by that?"

"Sometimes it's just not at the right time. And that person is already in love with someone else." Regina's eyes bored in on Emma as she said this.

Ah, Regina must be talking about her dead love. Emma really was curious about that but she kept her lips shut on the questions that threatened to come out. "I'm sure you'll meet somebody else for whom you are their love at first sight." A pause.. "You know, I didn't take you for a romantic given your derision of Mary's sappy true love themed wedding."

Regina curled up her lip here. "Please, I have the common sense to fantasize about true love but to know that it's not reasonably going to happen."

"But Mary and David are in true love. I swear, I've never seen two people more in love than them. They would shit out pure love if it was possible."

"Yes, well just like your love with Lily went so well," Regina snapped back though it was clear from the wince on her face that she didn't mean it. It did clam Emma up though because losing Lily still hurt. But Regina wasn't the only one to express the sentiment of why was Emma dating Lily.

"I'm sorry. I'm...abrasive," Regina sighed out softly, holding her breath and expelling the apology on it. "I don't mean to look down on your past relationship. I just...I don't understand why you would go with someone like her. She doesn't seem all that kind."

"She's my weakness," Emma said. "Her type, that is. Dark hair, don't care attitude, with snark that could kill a rock."

Regina thinks this over in her mind, rolls something around she wants to ask. "And why did you pick me from all the women on the website?" This stops Emma's motions momentarily. What does she say? Does she answer honestly? She supposes she should. She's already answered it before, at the wedding, but she senses Regina is digging deeper this time with her probing.

Emma's fingers began to knead Regina's left foot now as she began to think. "Frankly, because you're like Lily. Like, you have the main characteristics that made me fall for her so easily. Dark hair, don't care, and god, your tongue is sharp and you don't care who you cut with it. But, fundamentally I can see you're different from her personality wise. You're more refined-"

"I would hope so."

"- and you're...mature. You just know how to handle your shit." Emma thinks back to Regina not even so much as batting an eye when Lily had tried to throw herself at her.

"I'm glad you think that."

Emma smiles at her because she doesn't know what else to do or say. She gets up and Regina begins to slide her heels back on. "My feet feel phenomenally better. Maybe I should start paying you to massage me after a long day of work."

Emma waits for her to finish putting them on before offering her a hand to pull her up. Regina gives her back the suit jacket and surprisingly there are no stains on it from the bench though it is a bit damp.

"Where to next, my knight in shining armor?" Regina croons teasingly. "Or should I say, my champion of feet."

"Ugh," Emma wrinkled up her nose. "Don't call me that. It makes me sound like I have a foot fetish."

Regina chuckles at that. "And do you?"

Emma decides to tease back. She's feeling more comfortable in Regina's presence now. While Regina is as breathtaking as when they first met, Emma is able to handle all her charm and poise better now. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"I would, given whose hands my feet have been in recently."

They banter lightly as Regina walks with her arm tucked into Emma's. The night is getting cooler and a quick glance at her watch reveals it's almost 12. Emma only paid to have Regina from eight to two am and she's sad to see their time ending soon. She wants to do something else with her before Regina heads home.

"You want to go for a quick bite? I know a quaint little place close to here. Though, it might be too low brow for your tastes."

"And why do you say that?"

Emma looked down at Regina's shapely figure. "You don't look like you've ever eaten a burger in your life."

Regina shook her head at this, humor dancing in her eyes. "I don't know whether to be insulted or complimented by that."

"I only meant it as a compliment."

"I suppose you can take me there. It's been ages since I last had one."

They walk a handful of blocks down until they arrive to a retro looking diner. It's called Granny's and Regina merely hums at the décor inside, especially at the menu.

"You don't like it?" Emma asks, kind of hoping Regina would. This spot is special to her. She's only ever come here by herself. She never even came here with Lily, because Emma discovered this place as a kid and had come here whenever she needed some food. Granny, an elderly lady she befriended, would always give her some small tasks to do around the place, like cleaning it up, or sweeping the floors in exchange for a warm meal.

But Emma feels right in bringing Regina here.

"It's just been so long since I've indulged in such greasy food that I feel like I'm getting fatter just by staring at the menu." But Regina says it with no bite. "What do you recommend?"

"The grilled cheese," Emma breathes out right away. "It's the best thing ever. I swear it's orgasmic."

Regina nibbles her bottom lip at this and Emma feels her heart skip a beat at that. "If that's all it takes to get you to orgasm than you haven't been having very good sex," Regina said coyly as her manicured nail taps on the menu thoughtfully.

Emma feels her face flush. Damn it, why is she flushing so much. She gulps down half the glass of water in front of her before she answers. "My sex life is great, thanks."

Before Regina can respond to that, no doubt with a cutting remark, Granny ambles over to Emma.

"I haven't seen you here forever duckling!"

Emma got up to greet Granny, smothering the older woman in a hug. "I know. Life has been busy."

"Too many sweet things rotting kids teeth?"

"Yea, they never learn," Emma laughed.

"I can recall one kid who lost five of her teeth to my hot chocolate alone," Granny wagged her finger playfully.

"Who can blame me it was good."

They laugh together. It feels good to see Granny. The woman helped raise her in a way and Emma has neglected to visit her recently. Lily's break up with her put a damper on things. "All dressed up?" Granny asks, pointing to Emma's outfit.

"I went to a wedding. Mary got married."

"Congratulations to her. You crazy kids are too young to be getting married."

"She's nearly in her thirties. I say it's about time."

"Who'd you go with?"

Emma shyly indicated to Regina, still sitting in the booth.

Regina watched the exchange with wary eyes before Granny finally turned to her. "Who do we have here?" she asked, fixing the spectacles on her face so she could see Regina better.

"Regina," Regina held out her hand and Granny shook it.

"She was my date for the night."

"Why Emma, why didn't you tell me you would be having such a nice lady friend over? Why didn't you take her somewhere nicer?"

Emma ducked her head this. Maybe she should have taken Regina somewhere nicer. This didn't look like her typical venue to frequent.

"She wanted me to try a really good burger since it's been a while since I had one," Regina came to the rescue.

Granny was flattered to hear this. "Oh that Emma. She always sings my high praises. But let me get you your meals. On the house."

Emma sat back down in her seat. "Granny, you don't have to-"

"Nonsense. With such wonderful company- you know it's the first time Emma has come in with some one here before. You are one lucky woman."

"Oh, really," Regina blinked and it was hard to read her facial expression past the mild shock there.

"I'll be right back with your orders. One grilled cheese and hot chocolate and one juicy burger for Regina."

"With a side of fries," Regina hurriedly added in while Emma was currently frying from embarrassment. Granny really called her out.

"Coming right up." She snatched up the lamented menus and whapped Emma on the arm with them as she covertly whispered. "She's a real looker Emma. I hope this works out well for you."

Emma smiled her thanks. And then she and Regina were left in awkward silence.

"So..." Regina drawled and it was clear from the smirk creeping up on her lips that she was going to enjoy torturing Emma with what she was going to say next. In fact the way she perused her knife and fork felt apt. Like Emma's misery would be dinner. "You never bring anyone here?"

"Granny's overexaggerating. I bring plenty of people over."

"Sure."

"I do," Emma huffed, looking out the window, trying to be nonchalant.

"You are a terrible liar, Emma."

"Fineee," Emma whines, blowing up a strand of her hair. "I don't really bring a lot of people over because it's just a regular diner. But you were an emergency case."

"An emergency case?" Regina arches her brow.

"You haven't had a burger in years. That qualifies as an emergency in my book. So, I brought you here." Emma hopes this bluff works better, and Regina does seem to buy into it this time.

"You are adorable." Regina's lips spread wide at this and she spreads the paper napkin on her lap in preparation of the meal to come.

Emma doesn't expect the compliment coming out of Regina's mouth and so she hastily finishes off the remainder of her water as she tries to think of a way to respond. Does Regina mean this? Or is it something she just says to all her customers?

Luckily, Emma doesn't have to answer because Granny comes by with the meal, it having been prepared in lighting speed.

"Enjoy," she says and walks off, winking at Emma knowingly.

At first, Regina tries to cut the burger with a knife and fork but Emma waves her off. "No, you just pick it up in your hands and eat it."

"I'm not used to that. Will I even be able to eat it?" Regina contemplates that last bit silently to herself.

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Emma hadn't been able to eat because of her less than pleasant run in with Lily.

She digs into her grilled cheese and fries, leaving the cocoa for last. They eat in silence for a couple of minutes, both more famished than they can say before Regina broke it, swallowing down a bite tastefully.

"You haven't asked me," Regina started.

"Asked you what?" Emma gulped down her fries, reminding herself to not eat like such a slob. Lily always called her eating habits like that of a child. But when your next meal was never assured in a foster home, everyone went hard for left overs and ate them with no amount of grace.

"About why I am an escort. You've read my profile. You know I'm well educated and probably well off. So you must have questions."

Emma shrugged. "Maybe. But it's none of my business. I'm not going to weasel it out of you."

Regina looks affected by that. "You're the first person who hasn't asked me about my job. Now I feel compelled to tell you."

"You don't have to," Emma dabbed some fries into her ketchup while she took a hearty bite of her grilled cheese.

"But now I want to. I became an escort because I was bored."

"Bored?" That was certainly not something Emma expected of Regina.

"I know. Such a trivial reason," Regina sighed as she took a sip of her water. "But, when you have it all, you stop caring so much and want to play by different rules. And, I wanted to piss off my mother."

"Did it work?"

"Splendidly. She won't even look me in the eye anymore."

"Sounds like family dinners must be awkward."

"You have no idea," Regina shook her head in thinking back on them.

"But do you enjoy it?"

"Enjoy it?" Regina questioned, not sure she understood what Emma meant.

"Do you get something out of it besides a kick when you piss off your mother?"

Regina hummed. "I suppose. It's rewarding being there to help someone when they need your help, even if it's of a peculiar kind and even if I get paid to do it. I also enjoy dressing up and looking pretty, so the fact I get to do that for work is appealing."

"And is this a side job? Or your main job?"

"Side," Regina clarified. "I still do much work for the company and I don't always have time for dates."

"Then why'd you pick me?" Emma asked, reversing one of Regina's earlier questions on her. "If you're busy and all."

That seemed to give the woman pause. "I would say it was out of pity, but mostly I was intrigued. I've heard of instances where escorts were hired to make an ex jealous and to rub it in their face, but never in an effort to get them back. I wanted to become involved in the plot. It would make my mundane more interesting. I was also curious as to who this girl was that would make you try so hard to get back with."

"Now you have your answer. I think Lily thinks we're actually dating. So good job to you," Emma cheered. "Because I was terrible at acting the part."

"It wasn't all me. Except it was," Regina winked and that made Emma nearly inhale a fry. She played it off well though, only slightly choking.

"Wait a second," Emma's countenance fell. "What if she googles you? What if she looks you up and finds out that you're not actually my girl-"

Regina placed a hand on Emma's to placate her. "Emma, do not worry. Wonderland Women has measures for that. If you google search my name it does not pop up in being associated with the escort service because of privacy blockers. And not all the information on my profile is accurate. It's equal to what I have or do in real life but it's not always the full thing."

This helped calm Emma down a bit, but still the fear of Lily looking Regina up was a real thing. She tried to joke to steady her nerves. "So you don't actually like foie gras?"

"That is actually true."

"What even is it?"

"Do you really want to know? I fear you may lose your appetite."

"Never mind then."

Meals complete, they lapsed into a comfortable silence again. This time Emma broke it.

"Here, try this," Emma pushed the hot chocolate drink towards Regina who eyed it warily.

"And I won't lose several teeth like you did with it?"

Emma couldn't help from laughing at that. "That took many months of me drinking this. And bad teeth hygiene. I promise," she pushed it a bit closer to Regina, the foam on top wiggling. "It won't happen to you. And, it's really good."

Regina caves at that and daintily picks up the drink. "Might as well, since I've already cheated on my diet." She takes a long sip and hums to herself.

"Good?" Emma grins cheekily, knowing it is.

"Good," Regina begrudges and sets the mug back down. A little cream has gotten stuck to the corner of her lip.

"You have a little whipped cream."

"Where?" Regina asks, patting her face in slight horror. She despises not being put together and perfect all the time.

"There- no, a little more to the side-" when Regina still can't find it, Emma leans over the booth and wipes it for her with her thumb before sucking off the foam there. She simply loves Granny's whipped cream toppings. Would be a shame to let it go to waste. And then she dives right into using a spoon to scoop up the rest of the whipped cream on the drink. She sucks the whole spoon into her mouth to get every last trace. God, it's been months since she last had this hot chocolate. What was she thinking not coming back here to get it? She's so into it that she doesn't notice Regina's blatant staring.

Regina just follows the motions of Emma sucking the cream off with her eyes as her hand slides up and down her throat slowly like it's trying to contain something inside of her.

Only when Emma finishes off her drink does she stop. Emma lets out a satisfied sigh and sits back in her seat and Regina snaps up as if she had fallen asleep or more likely been under some spell.

"I guess we should head out now? Our time is almost up." 2 am is almost here.

"Yes," Regina smiles though it doesn't reach her eyes. "I suppose we should." They both get up and go outside the diner, Emma waving a quick thanks and goodbye to Granny before hailing a cab for Regina.

But something holds them from immediately splitting ways. The cab idles as Regina and Emma turn to one another, Emma shrugging on her jacket over Regina's naked shoulders to fend off the cold. The action brings them close and the heat radiating off of both of their bodies pushes the chill of the night back.

"Are you coming with me?"

Emma shakes her head. "I live close by. So I'll walk."

"You'll get cold," Regina says. "Take the jacket. I'll be fine."

Emma resists, letting go of the lapels once the jacket is fully on Regina. "I'll never need to use it again. Just take it. You look like you might live farther than me."

"Emma-"

Emma steps back, needs some space to clear her head. It's been a tiring night and while she wants to go to bed, she also doesn't want it to end. She finds herself liking Regina's company and it saddens her she'll never get to see her again.

She needs to be hard. Needs to say this goodbye. "I had a good night out with you. You made it fun. Get home safely."

Emma turns to whirl on her heel when she feels Regina's slim fingers wrap around her wrist. "Wait," is the breathless sigh and before Emma knows it she is being pulled into Regina's chest and her soft plump lips are brushing against her cheek.

"I had a good night with you too. Best of luck with Lily," she mumbles against Emma's suddenly warm cheek. "My champion of feet," she adds before things can get too serious.

"I told you not to call me that," Emma groans out as Regina laughs against her cheek. The laugh sends a thrill through Emma and she counts off that it's been twice (twice in one night y'all, this is some big deal) that the older woman has laughed.

"I amend my words, my dear knight." And then Regina is off, leaving only her lingering perfume in the air and the soft imprint of her lips.

Emma stands there dumbly, touching her cheek and watching the cab go before she hunches up her shoulders and presses her hands into her pockets.

She gets home at a quarter past three and begins to undo her shirt and her pants. She scrubs her face in the sink and gets ready for bed where she lays and longingly stares at the ceiling in the dark.

Being with Regina like that makes Emma's heart ache all the more for what she has lost with Lily. She desperately needs to find a way to get her back. So far all she's done is pissed Lily off and she doesn't know if it was for jealousy reasons or not.

It's time Emma got serious.

Pummeling her pillow she tried to go to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Regina subtly throwing in hints that she believes in love at first sight while she stares at Emma point blank.
> 
> Next time: Lily and Aurora invite Regina and Emma over for dinner. Sparks fly! Heads butt! And dinner gets burnt?


	3. For What we (Y)earn

Emma was in another predicament. This time due to a dinner invitation.

Two weeks after Mary's wedding, Aurora made good on her promise to invite Emma to a couple's dinner. "It'll be great. We'll have organic food and gluten free products."

"How did you get my number?" Emma asked, annoyed. If Regina was here she'd say something like,  _don't you use carrier pigeon mail to communicate?_  She chuckled to herself at that. It had been a while since their date and Emma found herself making up snarky comments that sounded like Regina in her head when dealing with idiots, like she was with Aurora right now.

"Lily gave it to me."

Emma pinched her brow. "She can't just give my number out to people. That's rude."

"I'm sure she didn't mean it that way." Aurora breezed past, only ever seeing the good in people. "Now, will you come to dinner?"

"No, I don't think so. Regina is busy. She works a lot."

"Don't be like that Emma. Lily is trying to make amends," Aurora said.

Emma sighed and sagged against her couch. Why now? Why was she trying to make amends now? Was it because she had seen Emma with Regina? Emma bolted straight up. That could only mean one thing. This was her chance! She could prove what Lily was missing. "You know what, let me get back to you on this." She had to call up the agency and see what availabilities Regina had.

"No problem. Take your time, dude," Aurora said in that stereotypical hippie voice. "Give us a ring when you're ready."

Booking an availability for Regina could not be easy, Emma felt. The woman worked for Gold-Mills and said she only did this on the side. But she had also said as much that she was bored and interested in Emma's plot so maybe she would make time for her?

Hopefully, Emma dialed the number and crossed her fingers.

One conversation later and Emma was booked with Regina. She felt her lips rise up unconsciously in a smile and she had to flatten them into a thin line so that they would stop doing that. She was excited to meet Regina, however, and she could not dissuade herself from feeling this way. She felt so excited that she actually started cleaning up the mess of her apartment- throwing away old food containers and bottles. Which was a start in the right direction. It was still kinda messy but nowhere as bad is it had been before.

Emma figured she must be so happy about this because stage two of getting Lily back was under way and Regina was going to help her.

* * *

Before they linked up for dinner with Lily and Aurora, Regina surprised Emma by insisting they meet up beforehand, off the clock. When Emma asked why, the company gave Regina's response as being something on how she was invested in the plan now and she always did everything with a hundred percent.

And that was why they met up in a cafe, three days before the accursed dinner. Emma was the first one there, tapping her fingers nervously as she waited. Waiting on people always made her uneasy. It was a feeling she couldn't shake no matter what and it stemmed from her abandonment issues. She was worried the person would never show up and just leave her here.

But she shouldn't have worried. Regina strode into the cafe, looking fabulously put together like always in a cream off the shoulder sweater and tight black pants and knee high boots. And she was carrying dry cleaning with her.

"This is for you," she said as way of greeting, handing the dry cleaning off to Emma.

"Is this my suit jacket?" she looked at it, and it was so pristine it hurt to look at. It was even whiter than when Emma had bought it. How was that possible?

"Yes, I figured I'd use this chance to bring it back."

"I was already set on parting ways with it. But thanks," Emma said, folding it over the chair next to her. It smelled really good from here and she wondered if Regina had washed it herself or had someone else do it. Probably someone else; she was too busy to do such things herself. And too rich.

"So, let us get down to business," Regina said briskly, all business like. "We need a plan."

"A plan?"

"Yes. Otherwise they can expose us for being fake. I know women like Lily. She's inviting us over only to sniff us out. We need an ironclad story to fool her," Regina insisted.

"Oh, okay." Emma nodded her head. She had been certain it was because Lily wanted to see Emma again and not because she wanted to expose her. "So how do we convince her we're together?"

Regina pulled out a little black book and pen, clicking it to get ready to take notes. "First, we're going to need to know tidbits about ourselves. Such as favorite food, drink, color, even childhood memories. And then we need information about our jobs, about our families, our hobbies, and even about our future goals."

"Don't you think that would be too much? I mean, we've only known each other for about five weeks by now."

"This is just in case. It's better to be over prepared than under prepared. Now, what is your earliest childhood memory..."

All in all it took five hours for them to finish. Regina extracted as much information out of Emma as she could, the blonde feeling like she had just undergone a ruthless interrogation. And then came the studying portion. "This is all my information," Regina said as she slid out a manila envelope from her purse and gave it to Emma who weighed the hefty thing in her hand. "You need to study that before you go to dinner. I'll quiz you and I expect you to answer correctly on about 90 percent of them."

Emma let out a groan at this. "Why does this feel so not fun?"

"Because it won't be. I can't believe you couldn't get out of the dinner."

"I tried, but they were really persistent. And then I learned that Lily wanted it to happen, which means she might be willing to talk to me again and then I can woo her back into my graces."

Regina said nothing to that just sighed. "Now that this is done, I'll see you next at the dinner I suppose." As she got up, Emma stopped her by holding onto her wrist.

"Let me take you out to dinner. It's the least I can do for you helping me out from your own personal time."

"Emma..." Regina started, looking torn between saying no and saying yes. She clearly hadn't been expecting this of Emma, that much Emma could see, and her manners were telling her to reject the offer so as not to seem like she had helped Emma only to get a meal out of this.

"Unless you're busy, than I won't bother you today and I'll just get you another time." Emma genuinely did want to repay Regina. The woman had tons of other stuff she could be doing yet she took time out of her busy schedule to help Emma in her ridiculous quest.

Regina shook her head at this, some internal want to spend more time with Emma winning out in her. "I won't say no to a good dinner."

A smile split Emma's face and she got up, ready to go, suit jacket folded over her arm. "Awesome. Got any spot in mind?"

"I don't really know this area. Why don't you lead the way," Regina suggested and linked her arm with Emma's out of custom because of her escort job. Emma didn't seem to mind.

"What are you in the mood for? Another greasy burger?" Emma wiggled her brows.

Regina shook her head. "That burger was good, but I think it set back my diet by several months."

"A diet!" Emma gave Regina's body a once over. She had a healthy amount of curves and not one inch of fat on her. "Why would you need to diet! You look amazing. In fact, it wouldn't hurt if you ate a hamburger more often."

"That's sweet of you Emma. But once you get older, your body doesn't process things like it once did."

"I still don't believe that. You don't even look old! You're only 28."

Regina merely shook her head. "Once you get closer to the 30s, you'll understand."

Emma opened her mouth to argue against this-why should such a beautiful woman like Regina feel so self conscious?- but Regina was already moving onto another topic.

"I could go for some seafood. Nothing like the smell and taste of the ocean to conclude a pleasant evening with charming company," Regina gave Emma a look here.

"You don't need to flatter me," Emma mumbled out because she truly didn't think she'd been the best of company this evening. All they'd done was talk about Emma's sad past. In fact she felt like she was more exposed now. She'd never told anyone that much about herself in one night. And while it was minor stuff, like what movies she enjoyed or where she grew up as a child (she did not at all talk about her foster home past. That was a big nope) it still was a big step for her. She was usually reticent regarding information about herself.

Yet, over her niggling discomfort, she felt like she could trust Regina with her information. The woman hadn't made a big deal of any of it, just considered it thoughtfully.

"And why shouldn't I flatter you?" Regina seemed perplexed by that idea.

Emma shrugged. "You're not at work right now so you don't have to continue it. Right now we're just some friends out for dinner."

"Not work? Friends?" Regina pulled them to a stop so her dark eyes could examine Emma's face. Emma squirmed under the intense gaze.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed you thought we were friends."

Regina shook her head here. "Emma, I flatter you because I want to, and it's not something I do often out of work. I only flatter those who I feel deserve it." Emma felt it was crazy that anyone would think her amazing. Lily certainly never complimented her like that out of nowhere. And neither did anyone at the many of her foster homes.

One of Regina's hands held onto Emma's hand squeezing it. Emma looked down to their conjoined hands, loving how well they fit together. It was something she had noticed ever since they met- how well their bodies seemed to fit around each other like puzzle pieces.

"And friends...I suppose we can start from there," Regina said more softly as she glanced down at their intertwined fingers. There was something sad yet hopeful about her tone.

That made Emma beam because she'd worried she over stepped her boundaries with Regina. "Cool. Because I love spending time with you. Now, you said you wanted seafood?" and with that their hands fell away as they followed the path Emma set to the seafood restaurant.

Emma wasn't a big fan of seafood, but she didn't say anything because she wanted to thank Regina by getting her something she would really like. So, she'd swallow down whatever food they'd get. She let's Regina pick out from the menu and tries not to blanch at the order.

Regina gets oysters for them. Emma's never tried any before (her seafood adventures consisting of the California rolls at the local deli). They arrive in a little tray, half open and gray on the inside like brains.

"Wow, how do I eat these?" Emma ponders as she picks one up.

"You simply suck it up. It requires a bit of tongue work. You need to use it to really get in deep," Regina said, making poignant eye contact with Emma as she demonstrated. Emma followed Regina's example with her eyes, though a light flush settled on her cheeks. Ummmm, Regina's tongue was being hella inappropriate (should Emma tell her? Or was it supposed to be like this when eating oysters?)

"Okay. I'm gonna try it too." Emma slurps it up as non-awkwardly as she can but some runs down the side of her chin and she hastily wipes it away. It feels salty and mushy in her mouth and she tries hard not to think about the texture as she chews and swallows it down. Once it's down, it doesn't actually taste that bad. She thinks she may actually come to like them. Not enough to ever order them on her own, but that if she went to a party she could eat them.

"Did you know oysters are considered an aphrodisiac?" Regina prompted as she leaned forward a bit, the candle on their table making this setting more intimate.

"Really? Why? They're just oysters. Chocolates make more sense since they're so rich and heady."

Regina tips her head. "I do not know. But I suppose it's a testament to how attraction can strike a person's heart without warning." Her eyes speak volumes to her words but Emma is too busy trying not to spill the contents of her next oyster to notice.

* * *

When the evening of the dinner arrives, Emma is nervous. She dressed up in a nice black turtleneck and those tight black jeans Lily loved, and she even curled her hair. Regina was by her side in an expensive dress as always. It was gray and Emma had to keep reminding herself to stop staring at Regina's ass.

"Can you stop fidgeting?" Regina hissed at Emma from the corner of her mouth as they stood on the doorstep of Lily's and Aurora's apartment.

"I'm trying not to. But this is going to be the first time I'm having dinner with Lily and Aurora," Emma hissed back.

Regina grabbed one of Emma's fidgety hands in her own and squeezed tight on it. "Don't worry. Just try to act natural and not think about things too hard."

"Do you think this dinner is going to go well?" Emma offered up wide hopeful eyes to Regina.

"Honestly, no." Regina quirked up her lip.

Emma visibly deflated at that which made Regina rush to soothe her. "That's just my opinion. For all we know it could go marvelously."

Emma perked back up at that. She had to bring her best game forward, act totally in love with Regina, and make Lily seethe with jealousy. The door opened up to show Aurora behind it. She was wearing a baggy shirt, another pair of bell bottom jeans, and was barefoot. Her hair was done down in a braid down her back.

"Welcome, my dudes," she grinned and Regina visibly cringed at her phrasing. And then Aurora opened up her arms and pulled them one by one into a hug. Emma awkwardly patted her on the shoulder and pulled away as quickly as possible while Regina's face was a mask of horror when it came to be her turn. She didn't even attempt to embrace Aurora and Emma swore she wasn't breathing either. It made her want to chuckle. Regina very visibly looked like she would like to say something about this but she was trying to be nice for Emma's sake.

"Come inside, Lily's setting up the table." They followed Aurora in to the apartment, Regina craning her head around to assess the place with an unimpressed look on her face. "How, very... _quaint,_ " she drawled, standing stiffly by the table as Lily set down the last dish.

"Not all of us have expensive tastes like you," Lily replied, with a thin smile.

Compared to Emma's apartment, this place was small. Her doctor's salary took care of her well, and she guessed whatever amount Lily and Aurora made combined wasn't enough to afford more space. She wondered if Lily still worked at that skate shop.

The table was laid out with simple dishes-steamed vegetables, canned vegetables, tofu, etc. Nothing too fancy and sadly no meats or desserts. Aurora hadn't been kidding when she said it would be healthy food only. Emma was already prepared to order a healthy dose of pizza when she came back home. She wasn't the only one disappointed by the food.

"I wasn't aware we were going to be eating a middle schooler's home economics cooking failures," Regina sneered and Emma knocked her in the ribs with her elbow in warning to be polite.

"What Regina means is that it looks delicious."

Regina glares at Emma. "I did not-"

"Oh wow! Is that butternut squash! Yum!" Emma mimes rubbing her stomach in excitement and licking her lips so that she can disperse some of the tension.

"You don't like butternut squash," Lily deadpans.

"Uh, well you know," Emma sweats, "Regina is kind of a health nut. She's got me trying all sorts of different foods that I don't normally eat. Just last week I had oysters with her." They sit down at the table, Emma in front of Lily, Aurora in front of Regina.

Lily snorted. "I don't believe it. You never deviate from your stringent regiment of grilled cheese, fries, sweet drinks and other fatty and sugary foods."

"People can change. It just takes the right woman to make it happen," Regina cut in, smiling thinly as she looked at Lily pointedly.

"Was there something wrong with Emma that you decided you had to change her in the first place?" Lily arches a brow.

"I wouldn't know. I think the woman who was dating her for five years before suddenly dropping her should have the answer to that. Or better yet, know what was wrong with herself for breaking up with Emma in the first place."

Lily looks like she's going to lunge across the table as Regina calmly spreads the napkin over her lap.

"Regina-"

"Babe-"

Both Emma and Aurora reach for their girlfriends arms to soothe them.

"Let's not get wrapped up in all this negative energy. Let's just enjoy dinner and conversation," Aurora says in that slow calm voice of hers.

"If there is anything about that woman to even enjoy," Lily huffs out, eyes dark but body restrained for now.

"I assure you, Emma enjoys me fully," Regina gets out, lips curling in a smug look as Lily fumes and takes a sip of her wine to calm down.

Emma coughs awkwardly and decides it will be up to her to save this conversation and dinner. "So...how has life been going?"

"Good," Lily cuts in sharply. "Me and Aurora enjoy a robust sex life."

Emma lets out a groan at this. This wasn't what she was aiming for (And she for sure does not want to know about their sex life).

Regina was ready to snap something back when Aurora, sensing that herself and Emma would have to be the adult ones here, starts talking.

"I've recently been volunteering at the hospital with emergency care patients."

"You sure volunteer in a lot of places," Emma whistled, impressed. The soup kitchen, rehabs, libraries, etc. Though she didn't like Aurora, she didn't have many other options here right now. Lily looked like anything would set her off, and Regina was sniffing disdainfully at the food on her plate, taking tentative bites of everything and pushing it aside when it failed her inspection.

"All that volunteering and you still can't get a job?" Regina said.

"I don't want a job. I don't want to be tied down to mega corporations."

"And how does that work out for you when you have to pay for housing?"

"I support her," Lily put in. "I make enough for the two of us."

"And being kind gets me repaid. They'll give me gifts, or help me put food on the table."

"No wonder this meal is so horrid- it's all handouts-"

Emma kicked Regina under the table for her to behave. The woman made a noise of pain before turning to glare at Emma who, clearing her throat, spoke up. "Anyone seen the new Action film out in theaters?"

Conversation hobbled on after that, only Emma and Aurora really carrying it. Lily and Regina would only speak up to insert snide comments about each other and Emma gave up trying to mediate between them. She just wanted to finish this whole awkward mess and go home. Her hopes for rekindling and impressing Lily had gone down the drain.

The two brunette's were even fighting over the dishes! Lily needed something from across the table, so to spite her, Regina took the plate, shoveled all the food that was on it (mashed potatoes) and blinking up at Lily with fake innocence, "oh, you wanted these? Sorry, but I used them all," as she kept the potatoes on her plate without eating them and handed Lily back the empty dish.

The only good thing that came out of this was that Lily and Aurora were too preoccupied to ask more details about how Regina and Emma met. But, it didn't stop Lily from trying to squeeze something out of Regina.

"You only ever date women before?" Lily asked Regina.

"Yes. I don't find much use for the harder sex."

"Funny you say that given what Emma has in her pants," Lily sneered and Emma could feel the blood in her veins freeze. Holy hell Lily could not be going there.

Regina's brows furrowed. "Excuse me?" She stopped cutting up her food.

"Lily-" Emma tried weakly but her ex wasn't looking at her.

"I guess you haven't fucked yet. If you had you would know that what I'm referring to is Emma's penis."

The air is heavy, but Lily's smug and self satisfied smirk is fire, fire burning a hole in Emma's stomach and heart as her mouth sours. She can't believe Lily just stooped that low. Aurora looks pale like a ghost just appeared before her. She looks from Lily to Emma, making strange noises. "Wha-what- you and her? And wha-?" She points from one to the other.

Regina for her part takes it all in stride, the only sign of her shock in the way her hands shake on the utensils like she suddenly wants to impale them into Lily's guts.

"I knew what you were referring to. I simply cannot believe the level of crass you are by talking about this at the dinner table. You've traumatized your girlfriend."

"And not you? Surely you'd be repulsed if you claim to be such a woman lover." Lily crossed her arms over her chest and sipped her wine, triumphant.

Emma feels small. She feels like she needs to curl up in a ball and crawl under the table and never come back out. Regina must be disgusted with her. Aurora, poor thing, is still stuck on repeat, making "Wha?" noises at different volumes and even accents now. She's so broke English is inaccessible to her.

"On the contrary, I've never cum harder in my life," Regina snapped out, defensive and offensive all at once.

"Oh yea?" Lily leans in, smelling blood. She knows she's touched a sore topic and she's going in for the kill; she's insistent on proving her verbal sparring skills this time to Regina. And Regina is not one for backing down from a challenge.

"Yes." Regina grits out.

"Coming from someone like you who has a stick up her ass the whole time, I'm surprised you needed another one. Or maybe you like getting your ass wrecked."

"If you don't shut your mouth I'll wreck  _your_  ass soon." The utensils clattered from Regina's hands as her hands fisted.

"Is that a threat?" Lily's eyes glinted hungrily with the promise of violence. She was itching for a fight.

"It's a promise. You'll be so beat that your hippie girlfriend over there will mistake you for those emergency care patients she spends her days working with."

The responses were coming in lighting fast- one barely out before the other struck.

"At least I have an ass to wreck."

Regina inhaled roughly. That two dollar bit did not just say Regina's toned ass was nonexistent. "What did you just insinuate about my posterior?" Her voice was low and dangerous.

"Posterior?" Lily scoffed. "Who even talks like that? Go back to the 80s when you were born, grandma."

"I find that rich coming from a women whose dating someone who looks like they stepped right out of the 60s!"

"You leave Aurora out of this fight. At least she's not some old woman who tries to over compensate for her saggy tits by dressing in expensive shit!"

"Saggy?" Regina gasped out, grabbing her own breasts to make sure they were fine. They were. Perky and firm as usual through the clothing.

"Ladies...can we not fight-" but Emma's feeble attempts were swiftly ignored. It was like Lily and Regina were in their own world now. A bubble of violent energy surrounded them.

"I am barely old," Regina recovered, losing some of her bluster because of how close and cutting these remarks were to her insecurities.

"I could hardly tell because of all the crows feet by your eyes."

Regina touched her eyes unconsciously. Even though she knew she didn't have any, she was really sensitive about her body. Lily chuckled when she got her and it only made Regina fume harder. No one, especially gutter snipe like this, was allowed to make fun of her looks. She was proud of her more matured looks. Just because Lily was some snot nosed 25 year old didn't mean she could be disrespectful.

"At least I have experience because I'm older. You couldn't make Emma cum if porn stars themselves thought you how to suck dick."

Emma blinked hard at that. Was Regina using vulgar language now? Holy hell, even in such a terrible conversation, it sounded hot coming from her lips.

"Please," Lily scoffed, setting down the wine and slapping the table. "I could make Emma come with my tongue alone."

Emma swallowed nervously. She was getting really uncomfortable now- she didn't need her sex life out there. Her "um-" was quickly ignored.

"And I can make her cum with the power of my words alone."

"Does she fuck your filthy mouth too? I bet you gag. You can't handle her like I did." Lily was getting more and more worked up. She got up and slammed her hands onto the table. Regina did the same, but with more grace. Now it seemed Regina had touched on a nerve of Lily's and she was getting the upper hand. Her lip corner quirked up.

"I wished  _you_  had gagged. I wouldn't have to hear your disgusting voice."

"You don't know how to ride her the way I did."

"Yes, you rode her so well she fell asleep from boredom," and if Regina was any less cultured she'd roll her eyes here.

Lily let a growl loose, the muscles in her arms straining as the two of them spat and hissed like cats.

And now for some reason it's become a competition on who could fuck Emma better?

What?

"Emma, tell her that's not true. You know we could go for hours on end," Lily now turned on Emma who shrunk back in her seat. Why was she getting dragged into this? She just wanted to leave.

"Emma, you tell her all about our sordid adventures under the sheets and that little trick you do with your tongue for me."

"Uh..." Emma breathed out.

"Ha!" Lily pointed savagely at Regina like she had won. "Emma doesn't do much oral work. She doesn't know any tricks with the tongue."

"Because she needed an older experienced woman to tell her how to do it. I'm surprised you were even able to get her off. You're so young and inexperienced. You probably lay around like a dead fish."

Lily nearly screamed this out, gesturing savagely. "I was the best damn woman to sit on her cock and she knows it! And you know it!"

At all the mentions of cock Aurora looked pained. "I thought we were all lesbians here. I thought this was a safe male anatomy free environment." She sounded like a little child.

Emma feels lost and confused and so not ready for this. And judging by Aurora's pensive and confused face as she sips on her juice like some scolded child she is no better off hearing how her girlfriend used to service her ex.

She was about to suggest that she and Aurora go elsewhere when the smell of something burning wafted up to her nose. She scooted her chair back to peer into the kitchen and saw flames erupting from the stove. Her eyes widened comically. "Holy fuck the food is on fire!" she screamed as she got out of her chair and went to fan out the flames. This finally brought the women out of the heated fight and into the heated kitchen as they attempted to salvage it.

Ten sweaty cursed filled minutes later and the fire was out but the main course was ruined. Just like dinner had been long ago. They sat at the table, glaring at the charcoal mess there, the atmosphere tense. Regina was smirking, Emma was sulking, Aurora was placating, and Lily was fuming.

"We all need some sage to cleanse us. And meditate," Aurora said as Lily suddenly got up, tossing her dinner napkin over the ruined meatless lasagna, fed up with all this. "Shut the fuck up Aurora," she said as she stormed off.

"Babe, peace and love!" she called out after her girlfriend, looking distraught and so upset, unlike anything Emma had seen before. She felt a pang of sympathy for her. Lily was no easy cookie to deal with.

Then the three of them sat there before the blackened and steaming lasagna. They were all no doubt thinking on what a failure this night was. At last Regina spoke. "You know Aurora, Emma sure knows how to treat and handle my lasagna well. She never makes a mess of it like this." As usual Regina had to get the last word in.

"I don't know what you mean," Aurora said dejectedly while Emma flushed. She definitely knew what Regina meant.

"Thank you for dinner. But we should go now," Emma murmured out awkwardly. She got up.

"Sure," Aurora sighed out, looking in sadness at the ruined dinner. She had had such high hopes for this dinner and it had all gone up in smoke, literally.

She didn't bother to walk them to the door, just burying her head in her hands. Emma got Regina's jacket for her and they both put their clothes on before they left. It was pouring outside and despite that they did not dare go back in to wait it out.

Emma fished out her phone to call them a cab. It would drop her off first and then Regina wherever it was she lived. Mercifully the taxi came quickly because Emma could feel the questions burning off of Regina and she did not want to answer them. Not now at least, when the embarrassment was so fresh in her mind.

"I want to apologize," Regina started lowly, the patter of rain on the window shield almost drowning out her words. "I behaved rudely at dinner. I had no reason to react to Lily that way and ruin everything for you." And here she gave a great sigh, as if it pained her to admit to this. "There is simply something about her that drives me off the edge, that brings out this less than stellar behavior from me."

"It's okay," Emma slowly murmurs, because she is a mess of different swirling feelings inside her and she doesn't want to interact with anyone right now. She just wants to go lie down on her bed and sleep.

Thankfully, Regina does not press.

The rest of the ride home was silent and Emma avoided every attempt of Regina's to make eye contact. When they got to her apartment, Emma rushed out into the rain, Regina following after her. "Emma wait. I need to talk to you." She grasped her wrist as they stood under the awning over the door way.

Emma felt her heart skyrocket up to her throat and she swallowed thickly. She supposed she might as well talk about it now. And prepare herself never to see Regina ever again.

"Uh, you must have questions," Emma started uncomfortably, tugging on her sweater, avoiding Regina's eyes.

"Emma," she said softly. "You don't have to do this."

"But I want to. I don't want you thinking I'm some freak."

"You're not. You're not," Regina insisted, grabbing Emma's hands and squeezing them. When Emma still didn't look up at her, she tipped her chin up with one finger. "What your body is or has, does not define you." Her voice was so impossibly soft and understanding. Something Emma would not have expected from a high class woman like her who strove to match up to societal norms. Who was all about following them. But then again she did become an escort to piss her mother off.

"Yea, well tell that to the buttload of jerks in my past," Emma sniffed and god, she would not start crying. She just hadn't wanted it to come out this way. Why had Lily outed her like this? She was so pissed at Lily right now, old hurt ripping her chest open.

Regina soothed her with a soft kiss to her forehead. She wanted to make Emma feel better, to make her feel wanted. "Emma, you remember what I said that night two weeks ago in the park?"

"You said a lot of things."

"Specifically, I mentioned that I wouldn't be opposed to this one thing if you propositioned me."

Emma shook her head. "Sorry, I can't recall. I'm too stressed to think back." She wished she could remember it.

"That's okay," Regina placated, smoothing a hand through Emma's curls. "I said that if you asked me to sleep with you, I wouldn't say no. And that applies even now, when I know about your...friend. Keep that in mind and don't feel so down on yourself. I won't think any differently of you."

With those words she was gone, drifting off into the rain for her cab and leaving Emma on her doorstep with a jumble of emotions she could not explore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, Lily is going to be a massive bitch for a little bit only because it'll help move Emma's decision making along.
> 
> Next time: Lily apologizes? Emma falls for a trap? Things get more complicated!


	4. Talk About (N)ow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is a turning point-Emma's eyes are finally opened to her current situation.

Ever since that disastrous dinner, Emma felt depressed. Not only had her secret been revealed to Regina, but Lily was pissed at her too. Emma should have known things wouldn't go well. Regina and Lily just couldn't be in the room together at all. They were like a pair of cats.

Regina had expressed her apologies in person to Emma about what happened, and she had reassured Emma she was fine with the secret friend in her pants, but it did little to fix Emma's sour mood. Emma hadn't wanted Regina to know, and if she would have, it should have been on her own terms and not on Lily's. Emma went to work, did her job, and then came home and binge watched movies to forget about the real world for now.

She wasn't expecting Lily to text her.

But when her phone buzzed with Lily's number (she had it memorized, and wait, didn't Lily delete it? Maybe she hadn't at all, given that she had given her number to Aurora earlier- holy hell, did that mean Lily had lied about deleting all of Emma's information? That was great news! It meant Lily hadn't permanently thought of removing Emma!) she snatched it up and read the message. It said,

**I'm srry. Can we meet in person so I can apologize?**

Emma's fingers hesitated over the buttons. She was still hurting from what Lily did, but she supposed it would be best to deal with this in person instead of hiding away in her apartment forever. She texted out a quick yes and they began the process of setting up a time and place.

* * *

"Hey."

"Hey." Emma breathed out and to say this meeting was awkward despite it just beginning, was an understatement. She had her hands shoved into her pockets while Lily had her arms crossed in front of her chest defensively. She looked sleep deprived and Emma wondered if it had anything to do with the terrible dinner.

"So, uh," Emma coughed, as they continued to stand there loitering in front of the store, "do you wanna get a drink?" Emma jerked her thumb to indicate the bar inside.

"Sure, I could go for a stiff one," Lily said, eyes dipping lowly to Emma's crotch before she headed out to the bar, Emma trailing behind her and unsure if Lily had really just insinuated what she thought had been insinuated by that look (but it couldn't be that, right? Cuz they weren't together anymore).

They sat down at a side table and Emma tapped her fingers on the table, waiting for the waiter to come with their drinks. She had ordered a beer and Lily a whiskey.

Silence filled with tension permeated them. At long last, after avoiding looking at each other, Lily spoke. "I'm...I'm sorry for what I said at dinner. I shouldn't have exposed you. It was the wrong thing to do." She squirmed uncomfortably at the table but powered on. "I was just...pissed off at Regina, your girlfriend," her lip curled up in disdain at this. "She drives me crazy."

"Yea, she doesn't like you either," Emma said flatly. No use in trying to dress the issue.

"Really, I couldn't tell," Lily rolled her eyes sarcastically. "But seriously, I'm sorry for what I did. Can you forgive me?"

Emma nodded her head. To hear Lily apologize like this- it was a big deal. The woman never apologized for anything or to anyone so for her to do this now was a big deal. "I accept the apology. Just, don't bring those things up, again, okay?"

Lily nodded her head, the look of penance on her face already long gone and replaced by something sharper, more conniving. "I didn't think it would be a big deal. If I had known I wouldn't have said anything. But I assumed you and Regina had sex already."

What should Emma say for this? They technically didn't have sex, but they were in a 'relationship' and she had to convince Lily.

"It took us a while before we could do it. Remember?" Lily reached out and stroked the back of Emma's hand. "You were so shy about it."

"Because I wasn't like other girls!" Emma defended, blushing and lowering her voice self consciously. "There was a huge chance you'd be disgusted by it."

"I was never disgusted by it," Lily winked. Emma was the one squirming in her seat now, feeling vaguely uncomfortable with putting this out in the open like this, especially because they weren't dating anymore.

"Anyways," she cleared her throat, trying to get back on track. "Things went way faster with Regina because she's very forward and we had a talk about it before we ever did anything. The only reason I was upset about this was because Aurora knows now, and I didn't want her knowing." That wasn't entirely true. Sure, she didn't want Aurora knowing but the big issue again was Regina (who had said it was okay and she didn't mind, but did she really? Emma would never know for sure).

"She'll be fine," Lily waved a dismissive hand.

"She didn't look okay at the dinner. I really rather her not knowing. She probably thinks I'm a weirdo or some shit."

"Aurora is chill. She would never do that. She's very accepting of people," Lily said as their drinks finally arrived.

Emma wasn't entirely convinced but didn't say anything more. They drank in an easier silence now before Lily spoke up once more.

"Do you really care for Regina? Do you love her?" Lily asked, leaning in as if to pressure answers out of Emma.

Those are serious topics to consider and Emma sips on her beer to think it over. She knew without a doubt she cared for Regina. She cared for what the woman thought, cared for what she felt. She wanted to make Regina laugh and smile all the time and she wanted to do fun things with her.

But love? She didn't know if she should say she was in love with Regina for the sake of covering up their relationship. In the end she decided to be honest.

"I do care for her. Deeply." Because there was just something about Regina that made Emma want to protect her. She knew Regina was tough and that she could handle her own but that fateful horrible dinner party night, she had seen a glimpse of real hurt at some of Lily's insults and all Emma wanted to do now was scoop the woman up into her arms and tell her it was okay, that none of it was true.

She doubted Regina would appreciate that, however. It would ruin her reputation of being a tough bitch.

"But love? I think my heart is a bit too broken for that right now," and Emma doesn't mean for this to come out sounding so bitter but it does. Lily barely blinks at the pain behind Emma's words. "That wasn't an issue with me. You fell in love with me right away, you said."

"Because I did. And my heart isn't ready to take that huge leap just yet, it seems."

"Then why date Regina?"

Emma frowns. She doesn't like this line of questioning. "Am I not allowed to date other people? You're dating Aurora!"

"Yea but that's different," Lily states. "Regina is clearly your rebound."

Emma feels defensive all of a sudden. To insinuate that someone like Regina would ever be a rebound is insulting, and Emma feels insulted for her. "Regina is not a rebound. She will never be that to me." Her voice gets low and she gets up from the table, done with this conversation. She should have known that Lily's purpose wasn't only to apologize, but to sink her claws into Emma's relationship. Regina was right about Lily being that kind of woman. Emma knew it, she just didn't want to see it.

"Emma. Emma!" Lily cried out after the blonde woman as she strode out of the restaurant. "Emma, I didn't mean to be rude. I was just curious!" She jerked Emma back by the shoulder, forcing her to face her. "Just cool it, okay? I didn't mean anything bad."

When Emma said nothing, just set her jaw, Lily continued. "Look, I just...you come in with this new chick and she's so not like what you usually go for, and I was just curious. I mean, she's fucking rich and some snobby uptight bitch at that too!"

"And I could say the same for you and Aurora. She's not your usual type-"

"Except that she is. She has a big heart, just like you," Lily's words soften here and she rubs a hand up Emma's arm. It's been months since Lily last touched her but surprisingly Emma doesn't even so much as shiver in delight at the touch. It just feels heavy handed right now. Maybe it's because she's so pissed off at Lily.

"I don't understand," she hisses out. "I don't understand any of this. About why we broke up. Where did we go wrong?"

"Emma..." Lily shakes her head. "This isn't the place for this-"

"Then when will I learn? When will you tell me?" And Emma can hear the pitch of her voice rising as her breaths get shallower.

"I already told you," Lily says, shifting her eyes to the side. She can't bear to look at Emma.

"What you told me was a crock of shit. I know you had some issues with me, but you just didn't want to tell me."

Lily's face gets dark and Emma knows she's pissed off Lily. It was never hard to do that. "You want to know?" she starts, voice a growl. "I broke up with you because I got bored."

The statement hangs in the air.

"B-bored?" Emma sputters out once she's processed it. She can't believe it. It's such a stupid reason to break up with someone!

"I like...the rush of adrenaline. Of doing crazy things from time to time. You remember our college years, right?"

Emma nods her head numbly. She remembers the bar fights she had to rescue Lily from, the nights of binge drinking, the nights of driving wild motorcycles, of so many other dumb and dangerous youthful things. (And all the nights of too many close calls on Lily's end.)

"I do."

"I loved spending time with you because you followed me on those adventures, and even when you didn't, we still did some fun things. Like kayaking, or scuba diving. But then once you got your dentist job, nothing. You just...mellowed out. Got predictable. You didn't want to do anything fun, just wanted to stay in your apartment after work."

"Because I was an  _adult_  Lily," Emma pointed out. "I don't have time to get black out drunk when I have to rip out teeth the following morning."

"It's not even about the drinking. Just even going on a weekend trip would have been fine. But our life became stagnant. And I couldn't deal with it. It was suffocating me. And I didn't want to hurt your feelings by telling you all this, because I still care for you. I do," and here Lily held Emma's limp hands in her own. "But I was just too wild for us to work anymore because you were the one who had changed and our relationship wasn't going anywhere."

Emma shook her head at this. She could feel hot tears pressing at the backs of her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me this? We could have worked something out."

Now it was Lily's turn to shake her head. "I didn't want you to feel bad. I didn't want you to blame yourself. Because you were happy and content with your life and I was the one who wasn't. So, I wasn't lying when I said it was me and not you. Because I needed more from life."

"And Aurora is the fix to that?" Emma sniffed and damn fucking shit, she would not cry, she would be stronger than this (but she really wanted to just let it all go).

"She's something fresh in my life. And she's not so societal obsessed. She follows her own rules and I kind of like that. And like I said, she's kind hearted and she puts up with my bullshit."

"I still think we could have worked something out. I don't want to lose you Lily because I care for you too."

Lily positively beamed at that information.

"Then let's start afresh. As friends." She held out her hand. "My name is Lily."

Emma looked on at that hand with longing and tentatively took it. "My name is Emma," and they shook hands.

* * *

Still, things would take a while. A while for the hurt to do away. But Emma felt some closure at finally knowing why Lily had dumped her and she supposed she sort of understood it. Lily was a wild soul, she always would be, and Emma was surprised that she was even able to tame Lily in the first place.

Lily did express remorse for what she did, but she said she felt this growth was needed.

"And I suppose I am growing too," Emma commented to her off handily one evening as they were enjoying a dinner together. They had decided to repair their friendship one step at a time and they were doing so by meeting up whenever they could and doing fun things together.

"How?"

"Regina's got me trying new things. And I'm trying new things on my own too. It's nice. I guess I really was just stuck in the same routine."

"Well, I'm happy you're growing," and Lily lifted up her glass. "To us. Growing up as adults."

"To us," and Emma clinked her glass.

It was nice being friends with Lily again. It was a step in the right direction to repairing things between them. Yes there was old hurt and longing, but it could be dealt with. And, Lily had even admitted to still caring for Emma. Maybe they could even go back to dating once more, when Emma showed how much she was changing and not allowing herself to fall into patterns of comfort.

She knew that this would be a great chance to win Lily back.

And she had to thank Regina for this, because it was because of her that it was possible. So, Emma invited her out to a bar to buy her drinks as a thank you one night.

She waited on the stool at the bar, nursing her own drink, running the rim of the glass with her finger and waiting nervously for Regina's arrival. And when she did arrive, it was with her usual flair for entrances. A light wind shuffled her in, making her hair dance as she entered. The weather was getting cooler and she pulled the light jacket off of her shoulders revealing a nice sweater and some tight pants, the look completed with heels.

"Emma," she smiled and Emma got off her stool...to, to what? Hug Regina? Shake her hand? She had instinctively gotten up but she didn't know what she wanted to do with herself. So she shame facedly slid back on.

"Regina," she smiled back as Regina joined her. There was something different about her today. It was- "your hair. You curled it." Emma looked in wonder on the delightful little curls that cascaded like waves.

"I didn't curl it. This is it's natural state."

"It's...cute. I like it."

"Cute?" Regina arched a brow. "I assure you, nothing about me is cute."

Emma laughed at this. "Alright, miss dark and dangerous. Not cute, but...delicious."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Even worse. Did anyone tell you how bad you are at flattery?"

"Nope, because I don't do it often. And this is the reason why," Emma took a swig of her drink. "So, what can I get you? I'm paying for the drinks."

"And what are we celebrating?"

"My success because of your help."

"Success with Lily?"

"Yup," Emma pops the p.

A look of shook covers Regina's face before she can wipe it away. "Oh." She sounds deflated and upset at herself for being this affected by it. Emma wonders at her reaction. It's probably because she doesn't like Lily.

"Well, not together together. We're friends. Friends for now."

"Oh," Regina lets out again, this one slightly relieved sounding, tacking on, "well I'm glad something worked out. Is this where you wanted to be with her?" She sits down and peruses the menu, one ear listening to Emma.

"Friends...friends is good. For now. I don't think I'm going to make any overtly romantic gestures with her. She's in a relationship and I'm not going to be one of those women who ruins relationships."

"And we're dating," Regina adds on. "As far as she knows, so she won't be making any moves on you either."

"Yea," Emma sighs out, phased by the new situation she has placed herself into. "It's a catch-22. We're stuck in friendship limbo."

"Cocktail," Regina tells the bartender and he takes her order. "So what do you think you're going to do now?" she turns back to Emma, facing her directly in the seat. Emma turns in to face her. She raises her glass. "Now, we're going to celebrate your good work in getting me this far with Lily and in convincing her well enough that we're dating."

"That's hardly anything to thank me for. It's my job," Regina says evenly as she takes a sip of her drink. It's fruity and too sweet for her tastes but she always sticks through with her decisions.

Emma shrugs. "That's true, I guess."

"And you didn't even get her back entirely. She only wants to be friends with you."

Emma shrugs again. "When you put it like that, it doesn't sound like much of a victory. But, I feel like it was one, so I'm going to count it as one. You gotta be grateful for the small things in life, you know."

Regina contemplates Emma at this. "You are something else," she says, voice low in wonder. "How do you keep such a perpetually optimistic outlook on life?"

"If I don't, then no one else will do it for me."

"I've never thought about it that way."

"It does wonders for you. Too much negativity can be horrid." Emma had learned how terrible the world was as a young child. It was only because of one foster mother- Mary Blanchard- that she learned to think positively. She was a woman who was consistently optimistic and that which thought the best of others, of situations, even when Emma kept getting passed over on being adopted.

She would pull Emma up into her lap, and then when she was too big, pull her up to her side, and tell her, "be patient. Good things come to those who wait. And in the meantime be happy to have a roof over your head and food in your belly because things could always be worse."

"Now you're beginning to sound like Aurora," Regina chided, wrinkling her nose up playfully. "Peace and love," she imitated Aurora's voice perfectly.

"Stop. I do not." Emma was horrified by the comparison.

"You entirely do. And you both have blonde hair. I can see Lily has a type too."

"Blonde and kind hearted, apparently. She told me as much. And, she stills cares for me. She actually apologized to me for outing me at dinner, which was nice. She never apologizes because she thinks people need to tough up or some shit like that."

"I'm happy to hear you ex has some manners in the very least," Regina teased. "Did she tell you why she broke up with you?"

"Because she was bored." Emma ordered for them two whiskey sours, hoping Regina would like the drink. She had noticed the woman drinking her sugary cocktail in distaste. Emma knew this bar better so she'd order the drinks for them and by her estimation, Regina was a darker and stronger liquids type of person.

"You can't be serious," Regina drawled out, blinking slowly at Emma.

"I am. She said we were too settled down, and I guess that makes sense. That's why I'm inviting her to hang out with me at all these cool new establishments and stuff so she can see I haven't gone all domestic. That I can still be fun."

"Emma," at this Regina touched Emma's arm. "That was her reason for leaving you, and you decided it was okay?"

Emma could sense that Regina was taking this information personally and she didn't know why. She had to right the situation. "Look, it's not the best reason for breaking up with someone but other people have broken up over lesser things."

"Tell me you didn't take her bullshit standing up."

"I was upset, if that makes you feel better-"

"Emma, this isn't about me-"

"But it is. You're mad."

Regina's lips parted as if they were ready to spit something out but midway she swallowed down her words and chewed on them so she could spit something else out entirely. "I'm...disgruntled by the way she treats you. My opinion of her is already low and to hear  _this_." There was so much vehemence in Regina's voice.

"Not a lot of people understand Lily. Or get her. And I know I'm blinded to some of her faults because of my love for her, but she is who she is. Yea, she hurt me, but what relationship doesn't have one person doing something to hurt the other. I'm not naive enough that I don't know some of the shit that happened between me and her isn't right, but I'm being the bigger person here. I'm trying to make things right. I'm trying to show her that she made a mistake, because I know Lily and she's prone to making rash decisions without thinking of it's consequences until it's too late."

"Do you seriously believe the bullshit coming out of your mouth right now." Regina's tone was dark, unlike any way it had ever been to Emma before.

She was floored by it.

"Maybe I am biased against Lily but I won't listen to you sit here and talk about her mistakes and accepting them, and putting all this work in for her when I doubt she would ever do the same for you. Tell me, Emma. What things have you done for Lily?"

"Uh," Emma stammered to, unused to being on the receiving end of Regina's sharp tongue, of her disdain. "I would do lots of things for her. Make her lunches for work. Buy her gifts. Take her out for dinner. Be on call whenever she needed me to be there for her. G-"

Regina cut in here. "And what did Lily do for you?"

Emma had a harder time of thinking up things for this category. "Well...um, she organized our anniversary dinner once. And uh, she would text me memes because she knew I loved them." She scrunched up her nose. Huh, how come she couldn't remember the things Lily had done for her. She was sure the brunette had done something.

"My point exactly," Regina said in self satisfaction.

Emma heaved out a sigh here. She wanted to jump to Lily's defense with excuses and reasoning but Regina would only sniff out her bullshit again. Instead she bitterly finished off her drink.

Feeling slightly guilty at Emma's low mood, Regina interjected in a softer voice. "I don't mean to be harsh, but someone had to tell you. You put too much effort into someone who hadn't put the same amount into you."

Emma sadly nodded her head at this. What did she do with this information? Tell Lily about it and demand more equal treatment?

"You know...if things don't work out with Lily, what are you going to do?" Regina asked tentatively, as if afraid to put this out there.

"I haven't given it much thought. But if things don't work out between us then it's time to move on," Emma said bitterly. Because there was only so much pining she could do before she got tired of doing it.

"Now that's the type of attitude that's needed. Don't live in the past," Regina encouraged. "It certainly won't do you any favors."

"Can we talk about something else now?" Emma asked, because Regina's scrutiny over the whole situation had dampened Emma's mood.

Regina noticed Emma's change in mood and acquiesced. She won't feel bad for pointing out the obvious to Emma. Emma needed to hear that. Instead they change topics, talking about how their life has been ever since they last saw each other. Soon the bad air is cleared between them as they get more drinks into themselves and as the conversation turns humorous. Emma's recalling a childhood story about how she broke her arm trying to impress this girl. She always did the stupidest things when it came to those she had a crush on. Point in case, all her failed romances as a child and the situation with Lily now.

"I can't believe you did that! All for a girl!" Regina chortles, face flushed red with alcohol and amusement.

"Well, I'm a total sucker for the hot unattainable girls," Emma slurs, knocking back a shot like water. She's warm on Regina's companionship and the drinks and everything suddenly seems so much better in her world, Lily far from her mind.

"Not all of them are unattainable," Regina murmurs and her glazed over eyes flicker to Emma's face. Suddenly, Emma feels the atmosphere around them switch. It's gone from playful to something else and she can't help leaning in to rake her eyes over Regina's form. She looks so warm and tempting, her skin soft and her lips full and so kissable. Emma feels a pang of loneliness inside her that the alcohol assures her can be quickly remedied. "Sometimes you gotta open your eyes a bit more, you thick headed idiot," Regina's lips curl up in amusement and Emma follows their journey up, wondering how they would feel curving up against the flesh of her neck.

They're sitting pretty close together, but for some reason what little space there was between them has shrunk considerably. Their eyes do not waver, holding gazes strongly. Emma is filled with an overwhelming need to kiss Regina and it might be the alcohol, the happiness surging through her veins because of the conversation or it might be because of the dim lighting of the bar. Whatever the cause, she wants it. They've never kissed before and so she doesn't know if it's okay but then she sees Regina slowly inching her body and face closer to Emma and Emma lets her body do what it naturally wants to.

Their gazes lower to their mouths now, locked on them like targets, and Regina's lips are parted in waiting, in wanting. They move so slowly it's painful to anyone else watching, but to them it's almost too fast. Emma's heart is beating wildly in her chest and her hand curls around her glass as if it could give her strength. Regina's hand sits on the wooden counter, nails digging into the wood.

Their noses brush against each other and Emma can feel Regina's hot breath on her lips. They're so close that there's no going back anymore. The last centimeters of distance close and they're kissing, languidly, lazily, yet with a burning desire for more.

Hot lips slide against hot lips, the taste of alcohol mixing in between. Eyes slip closed and air is huffed out through the nose as they continue to kiss. Emma has all but forgotten that she's in a public space, that others can see this. She doesn't want to part from Regina's lips. They have an intoxicating quality to them and they're so soft and kissable.

Heads tilt to the side so teasing and testing lips can discover further secrets. A little moan leaves Regina's lips when Emma's tongue makes an inquisitive sweep. So Emma sends it in, parting Regina's lips and twining her tongue with the brunette's. Mouths turn hard and insistent, tongues hungry.

This kiss is by no means sordid but no less intimate given the pure emotions running and coursing through their body.

Regina's hand finds it's home on Emma's thigh and causes heat to race through Emma's body, along with panic. She pulls away, breathing hard. Regina stays there, eyes half lidded and filled with desire and questions.

"Emma?" and her voice was husky and deep.

Emma's was a shriek. "B-bathroom. Gotta pee," she stumbled from the chair and rushed over, locking herself in the stall. Once there she felt a bit more stable if not for the mess going on in her pants never mind the discombobulated mess of her mind and heart.

Regina had come close to touching the issue and as Emma unbuttoned her pants she saw that for the first time in months since breaking up with Lily she was hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Next time: Emma's birthday party gets raunchy? A new player enters the field? There's an incident in the bathroom!


	5. (B)ring in a Birthday Celebration

Emma finds herself once more a jumble of emotions. Honestly, things are getting complicated and fast, and she doesn't know what to do. She kissed Regina. Kissed her long and good. Emma knows they're fake dating but that kiss didn't feel fake at all. Emma had put too much emotion into it, emotions that apparently were slowly surfacing to her usually Lily obsessed brain.

Emma thinks she may be developing feelings for Regina.

This isn't a question of how or why- Regina's hot, she's successful, and she and Emma get along well. Plus, she cares for Emma's happiness and called her out on her bullshit, forcing Emma to take a step back from Lily and stop hanging out with her until she could refocus herself and reevaluate this whole situation (and Lily was not happy about Emma denying the two of them from hanging out, given her scathing texts but Emma really couldn't be by her now when at the forefront of her mind lays the glaring and true fact that Lily has never really put much effort into their relationship. And the fact hurts like a nail to the heart).

No, the question is what. What to do now.

Emma is conflicted. She's in the middle of her issue with Lily and now her heart is foolishly trying to fall for someone else? That spells disaster and Emma can't bare to get her heart broken a second time and so soon.

Emma should have seen this coming. After all, what did she think would happen if she spent enough time with a woman who was exactly her type? Did she think they could just ever remain friends? No, that wouldn't be the case and she was kicking herself over this. Over how her feelings had come up from nowhere and blindsided her.

Emma had considered if maybe it was the alcohol that had made her horny, that had made her hard, but no it wasn't. Because every time she thought back to the kiss, to the soft press of Regina's lips on hers, she got all tingly and could feel herself start to harden up again.

She wanted to kiss Regina again. Wanted to see her again, but she was too embarrassed to show her face to her. She knew if she saw her again than it would only cement her feelings for the brunette and Emma was really trying to mend her heart and not embroil it into another love affair that wouldn't pan out well.

For surely what would Regina want with her? Emma was just someone that paid Regina. Maybe they might even be friends at this point, but something more than that? Regina could do better than Emma who couldn't even win an ex back and who was disgustingly pining over them.

This new development also gave Emma pause. If she was starting to fall for Regina, then did that mean her love for Lily was waning? Was she finally moving on? And if she was, than what the hell did she do now? The only reason she and Regina saw each other so often was because of the need to trick Lily with their fake relationship. So if Emma was losing interest in Lily, than that meant she might not be able to meet with Regina anymore and that thought brought her despair.

Damn, she really didn't know what to do. Should she continue trying with Lily? Or should she drop the thing entirely? And what about Regina? Emma had practically bolted from the bar after the kiss, like some scared colt. Regina had been not expecting Emma's hasty retreat given the sad and disappointed glimmer in her eyes.

"Sorry, just uh, something from work. Came up. And uh, I gotta go home," Emma stammered pitifully and then ran out the door afraid to look back at Regina's downcast features or to even hear her sigh of, "of course."

Shit. That had been a dick move on Emma's part, but she had been scared. Scared because she didn't expect to start falling for Regina.

She shook her head to ground herself. No, she had to stop this. She wouldn't drag Regina into the mess that was her love life.

And she'd apologize for the kiss. She had to. The only question was how, when she was too worried to meet her face to face.

* * *

It turned out Emma would have to see Regina sooner rather than later. Because of the-whole Lily-and-now-falling-for-Regina-potentially situation, Emma had forgotten her birthday was coming up until Ruby called her.

"So, party at your place? I'll bring the drinks and you bring the snacks and music?"

"Oh shit," Emma breathed and closed her eyes.

"Emma," Ruby sighed in incredulity. "Did you forget about your birthday?"

"Possibly," Emma admitted in a small voice. "But, I've been busy."

"Still got Lily on the brain? Look, I told you to give up on her-"

"It's not that- okay, well maybe it kinda is- it's, I'm just dating someone new."

"Oh shit, who?" Ruby whistled, proud of her friend. She was a mutual of both Emma's and Lily's but honestly, she was more on Emma's side of this break up. She'd hate to be blindsided the way that Emma had been by Lily and she'd said some choice words on Emma's behalf but other than that, she liked to stick her nose free of drama. Gossip though, was on the table.

Emma bit her tongue here. Should she be continuing this farce of dating Regina? Only Lily and Aurora knew so far and Emma would like to keep it that way, but because it was her birthday and Lily would no doubt want to come over to celebrate, it would be weird if Emma didn't invite her own girlfriend to it (so she might as well tell Ruby now). "You haven't met her before or anything. She's from the high end of town."

"You caught yourself a big fish this time. How long have the two of you been together?"

Emma thought back mentally, trying to keep her lies straight. "About three months by now."

"And you didn't think to inform me that you're dating someone new?!" Ruby practically screamed into the phone. "Emma Swan!"

"Sorry, I've been a bit occupied," Emma apologized, wincing at the sheer volume.

"Hmm, I can guess why," and the implications in Ruby's coy voice were not lost on Emma.

"Ruby," she sighed out, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I bet you give your mattress some action each night. How does she like the equipment downstairs?" Ruby was one of the few who knew about Emma's extra member, only because she had been one of the first girls to rouse it when Emma started crushing. She never told Ruby that she'd had a thing for her in middle school only because Emma didn't want to ruin their friendship. She valued that more than any relationship that she could have had with Ruby. Besides, Ruby had been practically married and soul bound to Belle since sixth grade. Emma was just waiting on the actual wedding to happen but Belle was too afraid to come out to her parents.

"She likes it just fine," Emma whispered, feeling her cheeks burn. "Now can we get back on topic."

"Ah yea, the topic of your birthday which you forgot about. You throwing a bash at your place like last time?"

"I might as well. It's easier that way and you know I like my events private."

"Alright, let me know if you need help with anything and I'll be there."

"Thanks, Rubes. Tell Belle I said hi."

"Will do."

Emma ended the call and sighed out heavily, placing her hands on her hips. Great, now it looked like she would have to see Regina whether she was ready or not.

* * *

Emma, Ruby and Belle didn't put up much decorations in Emma's apartment because it'd only be a pain to take them back down at the end of it all. Chips and dip were on the table, sodas and other drinks there as well.

Emma hadn't invited too many to this party. She wanted to keep it intimate. And she didn't want the knowledge of Regina being her girlfriend getting out of hand. She knew Mary's proclivities for gossiping so she was sure some of their friends already knew but there was still a handful that didn't and would make a big fuss out of it.

"Got any pics of her?" Ruby asks, one arm around Emma's shoulder as she peers down at her phone.

"No," Emma sighs out, knowing this will be a point of contention.

"You've been going out three months with her and you don't have a single photo?" Ruby pulls away and forces Emma to look at her. "Are you serious?"

Emma flounders for an answer. "Look, I just...you know with Lily, I only kinda got over her and I don't wanna mess things up with Regina and then be stuck deleting all her photos off of my phone. I want to take it slow. Make sure things are steady before I delve deep."

Ruby hums and takes a sip of the beer she's helped herself to. She looks on at Emma as if trying to sense her bullshit but before the silent interrogation can commence, the doorbell rings and Emma's first guest arrives.

Soon Emma is busy, the music is playing and the alcohol is pouring and Ruby can no longer hound her on the issue. Emma forgets about her worries partially, though her palms remain sweaty as she waits on and fears on, Regina's arrival. An hour, two hours, pass into the party and now Emma wonders if Regina will even show up. She springs up to the door every time new guests show up, hoping it's her fake girlfriend. And every time she is disappointed.

She's right in the middle of hugging it out with her friend Elsa from high school when the doorbell rings. And before Emma could get it, someone else does. Regina strode in a moment later, looking as flawlessly put together as always. She had on a gray pea coat with a white scarf around her neck and given her bare legs she was wearing a dress. No doubt a body hugging one.

Emma had wanted to pull her to the side to quickly apologize for kissing her in the bar but now it looked like it would have to wait.

"Happy birthday, darling," Regina greeted, a smile on her face and hands holding up a bag that almost went unnoticed by Emma because all of her brain was focusing on the brunette in front of her and how good she looked (and that wonderful cloud of perfume that hung around her- what was it? It was sweet and spicy at the same time).

"Regina-" Emma breathed out, a ball of nerves and happiness in her stomach. Before she could say much more, Regina had strode up to her, cupped her cheeks between her gloved hands, and was kissing Emma so sweetly.

Emma leaned into the kiss, eyes slipping closed and hands curling into Regina's hair. She almost forgot that they were in the middle of a room and everyone was looking at them.

When they pulled apart it was because of a wild whoop coming from Ruby who had sidled up to them with her arm wrapped around Belle's waist. "Emma, so this is the girlfriend," she said appreciatively. "She is a stunner." She eyed her up and down while Regina glanced at her warily. No doubt she was distrusting of any of Emma's friends given her unpleasant experiences with Lily and Aurora.

"And who are you?" she asked curtly. If Ruby was stung by the curtness of it she gave no sign.

"Ruby Lucas," Ruby stuck out her hand and Regina shook it delicately. "And this is my future wife Belle," Ruby said, grinning cheesily at Belle, only love in her eyes. These two could give Mary and David's love a run for their money.

Belle smiled demurely at Regina before also sticking out her hand for Regina to shake. "We don't know anything about you."

Suspicion flared in Regina's eyes but she covered it up well. "I don't know anything about you either."

"Emma's been keeping you a secret."

"And for good reason," a voice cut in and Emma turned her head to see that Lily and Aurora had arrived at the party. Like a predator Lily had zoned in on Regina in an instant and was ready to pick up their fight from last time.

"Lily, please, not today," Emma hissed at her, eyes pleading.

Lily inhaled deeply, and considered the pure desire on Emma's face for this night to go without a hitch. At last she relented and smiled thinly. "Because she's such a busy and important person," she finished falsely.

"I always make sure to make time for my girlfriend," Regina responded with coolly and Emma cleared her throat pointedly, reminding Regina to behave as well.

"Here, we brought you a gift," Aurora said, holding up the bag to Emma, and not at all privy to how close a bloodbath would be to breaking out between Regina and Lily again. Emma would remember to keep the two of them at opposite ends of the apartment.

"Thanks. I appreciate it," Emma smiled and Aurora awkwardly did not meet her eyes, instead staring down at her crotch. Riiiiiight. So that was going to be a thing.

Trying and failing not to feel so exposed, Emma placed the package strategically in front of her crotch so Aurora could stop staring as if someway or another she would see proof that Emma had a dick. Aurora jerked her head back up guilty at being caught and rushed over to drop off her and Lily's coats. Ruby and Belle also walked away, no doubt because Ruby needed a refill for her glass.

"Are they going to be a problem for you?" Regina leaned in and whispered into Emma's ear causing a delectable shiver to run a course down her back.

Emma loved how defensive Regina got over her, but there was no need. "It's fine. Just don't talk to them and we won't have an issue."

"Did you really have to invite the ex over? Bad taste for your current girlfriend," Regina continued speaking into Emma's ear and Emma had to inhale shortly to keep the shivers from overwhelming her.

"I had to. We're trying to be friends, remember?"

"Sadly, I do," Regina pulled away at this, stripping off her coat and revealing a stunning tight gray dress on her. Emma wished she had dressed up more. With a simple crop top and tight black pants, she felt underdressed in Regina's presence.

"Like what you see?" Regina flirtatiously asked when she noticed Emma's blatant staring, and she must have not been expecting a real answer from Emma because she looked shocked when Emma breathed out a "yes."

"Emma..." she mouthed more than said, placing a hand over her stomach delicately as if to crush some budding emotion.

Emma shook her head at this, panicked that she had said too much. "I mean, you always look good. Cuz, uh, you know, you have a great sense of style and nice clothes and shit, I'm gonna go get you a drink," and she rushed off, blushing furiously. Why the hell couldn't she keep her feelings for Regina under control? It was mortifying.

She went to the drink table and quickly mixed together something strong before she went back to Regina. She held out the drink between them as if it could erase the awkwardness of the last two minutes. "Thank you," Regina accepted the drink and took a dainty sip while Emma chugged hers straight down because she needed a little bit of liquid to take the edge off.

"So, you don't really know anybody here," Emma started as she tapped a finger on her empty cup.

"I know Ruby and Belle, and Aurora and that wonderful human being known as Lily," Regina sarcastically hummed, eyeing the aforementioned individuals.

"But you don't know everyone else. Come, I'll introduce you," Emma said because she didn't want Regina to feel awkward at the party. Emma knew from experience how horrid the sensation was.

Steering Regina gently by the elbow she began to introduce her to some friendly faces. Regina took it all in stride and even seemed to get along with them all. Emma left her with a group she was particularly getting along well with before excusing herself to get something more to drink, missing the questioning look Regina sent her as she left. In the kitchen it was darker and there were drink bottles laying around making the counters sticky with their spilled contents.

She was not looking forward to the mess of cleaning it all up.

Quickly she downed two shots and winced at the sharp taste. She jumped when she heard someone come into the otherwise empty room.

"You didn't open my gift," Regina said as she followed Emma into the kitchen. The blonde was pouring herself a new drink so that she could get drunk. It had been a while since she let loose and really, what was a birthday celebration without a hangover the next morning to prove how much fun she had?

"I usually open them all at the end," Emma replied, taking a swig of her new drink.

"Since I'm your girlfriend I believe that warrants special privileges," Regina said playfully, holding out the gift. "Open it."

Emma took the offered bag and pulled out a small jewelry box from inside.

"I know you're not a jewelry type of girl, but if we're fake dating I think buying each other sappy necklaces is something warranted."

Emma opens up the box and a small smile lifts her lips. Regina got her right. She doesn't normally wear jewelry but in this case she will. "It's beautiful," she breathes out, looking at the delicate gold chain and the pair of wings at the front of it. Swan wings, she thinks.

"It better be," Regina snorts. "I paid a pretty penny for this."

"Thank you," Emma whispers, honestly not even expecting Regina to get something for her. "You didn't need to buy this."

"But I did. It's for our cover," Regina said as she stepped closer to Emma.

"Then you could have just gotten me socks."

"But I wanted to buy you this, so I did," Regina clarified, words earnest and making Emma's chest soar with something too light for her broken heart.

"Will you put it on?" Emma almost mouths, words coming out barely a whisper.

Regina nods her head and takes the necklace while Emma pulls her hair to the side and she slides it on. When Emma turns back around the space between them has melted and their noses are almost brushing against each other. Eyes find eyes and flick between two stunning pairs of lips, both slightly open in anticipation.

"How does it look?" Emma croaks out, throat suddenly dry. She would quench it with her drink but she can't seem to let go of the counter edge, gripping it with all her might to keep her from doing something stupid.

"It looks beautiful," Regina whispers, manicured hand tracing up from the necklace laying flat on Emma's collar bone to her neck to her jaw and then pushing her hair behind her ear. The air buzzes and pulsates around them with something Emma can only call desire. It cloaks them heavily in it's grasp and settles into their bones, into their drink muddled brains.

Emma finds herself filled with yearning again. A yearning for Regina's warm lips on hers. But she's too afraid to make the first move, too afraid to make this go any deeper. She's barely over one break up, how can she trust herself to make smart choices in another relationship? That is, if Regina even wants her. Which she probably doesn't. Regina had only kissed Emma because...well, Emma doesn't know-because it was Regina's job most likely to cater to Emma-, but what she does know is that Regina is too good for her. Too good to fall into a relationship with some barely functioning dentist.

And so she needs to apologize to her for the kiss-

Oh shit, never mind. She missed her chance. Because Regina's lips are suddenly on hers, this time more insistent and hungry than last time. Emma's body responds as her mind blanks (so wonderfully) as she grabs Regina by the hips and pulls her in closer. The counter bites into Emma's back as Regina presses in, her warmth spilling all over Emma and filling her insides until they are so light it feels like they are floating on air.

Emma lets herself be dragged into the moment. Regina's hands rake through Emma's hair possessively, scraping her scalp and dragging shivers of pleasure down her spine. So Emma let's her hands roam, grabbing Regina's ass (she just can't help herself). It's firm and so toned.

Regina lets out a moan at that and lowers her mouth to attack Emma's neck in retaliation. The mix of soft lips, sharp teeth and wet heat make Emma's knees go weak. Make her want to go so far with Regina that they won't ever go back. She can imagine herself propping Regina up on this counter, spreading her legs open (and oh god she can't even finish that thought or she's going to get too hard to hide it in her pants).

Instead, Emma grabbed the front of Regina's dress and quickly turned them around so that now she was the one pinning Regina to the counter. "I'm the one whose always on top," Emma told her between kisses, a hint of a growl in her speech.

"With you, I don't think I would mind," Regina breathed out.

And that inspired another slew of imagery that had Emma panting out of control. She wanted to tell Regina not to say such things (yes, say such things) but before she could, there came the telltale sound of a happy birthday song being played.

"That's your cue, birthday girl," Regina murmured, lips popping apart and wiping her lipstick off of Emma's mouth she reluctantly slipped out from under Emma. She held out her hand for Emma to hold and together they entered the living room where everyone was gathered around the cake and singing. Emma stood in front, Regina by her side, arm slung around her wrist. When the song finished, Emma took a deep breath and blew out the candles. Surrounded by the faces of her friends she felt loved and so happy.

"26, huh?" Regina murmured as she ducked in to give Emma's cheek a kiss. "Still so young."

Emma laughed at that. "You act as if you're so much older than me. Now, are you going to eat a slice of the cake or will that be too many calories?"

"For you, I'll set back my diet a few days," Regina teased but they both knew she took her diet seriously.

"Regina, you don't need to diet. You're already perfect to me," Emma said earnestly as someone took the cake and began to cut it up and share it on little plates.

Regina's mouth did that thing where it looked like it didn't know if it wanted to smile or hold back tears. Instead she flattened it into a thin line and looked away. "Let's have some of that cake before it melts."

Emma sighed out but did as told.

The cake went by quickly. Sabine had baked it at her bakery and it was so good. Vanilla with butter cream and spongy bottom filled with wild berries. Emma would eat three of them if she could.

Once the cake had been cleared away, Lily clapped her hands to get their attention.

"Birthday girl gets a lap dance!" a half drunk Lily shouted out and before Emma could even move out of the way, Lily had pulled out a chair and pulled Emma into it.

Excited whoops came from the crowd as Lily told someone to hold her beer before she clumsily straddled Emma's lap.

"Uh, Lily, what are you doing?" Emma asked in a harsh whisper, uncomfortable prickles racing down her back. She cast a wary glance at Aurora who did not look pleased at this at all. Mulan, who stood by her side, had slung an arm around her shoulder and was murmuring comforting words to her by the looks of it.

"What does it look like? I'm giving you a birthday lap dance."

"Lily, your girlfriend is here. And so is mine," Emma hissed out under her breath as Lily's body began to undulate on top of her.

"Relax, it's just a bit of fun."

"Regina is going to murder you," Emma warned when she glanced over at the brunette in question. Her face was stormy. "You need to get off now. Hurry," Emma added when Regina began to stride over to them, head held high, and with powerful steps of her heels.

"Excuse me," she said between gritted teeth as she clenched Lily by the upper arm and stopped her gyrations. "Let me show you how a proper lap dance is done."

The crowd that had circled around them instigated loudly and Lily jerked back free from Regina's hold. "I doubt you got the moves, grandma."

Regina smirked. "Watch and learn."

The dress Regina was wearing was too tight on her, so she hitched it up so she could spread her legs wide enough to straddle Emma's lap. Emma caught a glimpse of a black lace tong. Immediately, Regina began grinding down in time to the music, her body undulating perfectly. She pushed out her chest and languidly ran her hands down the valley of her breasts before going up to cup them hard.

Shit, this was hot. Emma could feel her pulse pounding hard in her neck as all the blood in her body circulated to one point. Regina's hands began to wander up and down Emma's chest now and the crowd was somewhat cheering her on. If Emma would have looked past Regina she would have seen Lily's eyes as black as night with fury, sipping her drink angrily. Even Aurora did not want to comfort her, sticking to Mulan for tonight.

Regina's hand snaked behind Emma's head and pulled hard on her hair. A small groan left her lips as Regina leaned in, pressed all of her upper body against Emma's. Emma feared the chair would tip over with their combined weight but it didn't. Neck now exposed, Regina teasingly ran her tongue tip up and down the tendon sticking out. Emma shuddered. She couldn't control herself any longer

Their eyes met as Regina's body stilled momentarily, and Emma knew that the other woman felt her. There was no way she couldn't. Emma was unwaveringly rock hard and with Regina on her lap, straddling her, there was no way to hide it.

Emma flushed and was about to mouth I'm sorry when one corner of Regina's mouth curled up deviously and she began to rock harder into Emma with long pressurized strokes, paying specific attention to that one spot.

Emma sucked in a breath as pleasure surged through her and her hands instinctively grabbed onto Regina's hips, pulling her in. She wanted to feel more of Regina on her, but she knew how dangerous this was, especially because they were in front of everyone. Her eyes fluttered shut and she only opened them with much effort as Regina leaned back before grabbing the front of Emma's shirt and tugging her up so that their lips teasingly hung in the air mere inches from the other.

"Regina please," Emma breathed out, begging for mercy. If this went on any longer than Emma would explode in her pants and she didn't want that.

Regina took pity on her, and smirking triumphantly, she rose gracefully. "That's how you do a lap dance," she gloated at Lily who merely glared at her, jaw tight. Emma rose to her feet on shaky legs. She needed to find refuge in a bathroom and now. She couldn't walk around the rest of the party with a raging boner. Quickly and with one hand over her lump to hide it somewhat, she rushed to the bathroom, not expecting Regina to be right on her trail.

"Emma, Emma," she called out. "Slow down."

"I need to use the restroom," Emma gritted out and grabbed the door to slam it closed but before she could Regina had wedged her way in, shutting the door behind her and locking it on the both of them.

"Talk to me. What's wrong," she asked.

"Nothing- just-...nothing. I need to use the restroom," Emma tried to subtly shift from foot to foot but she wasn't very good at it. Regina's eyes followed the motion and seemed to grow darker.

"Is it because you're hard? Do you need some time to jerk off?"

Emma flushed at the wording. She shook her head to lie and say no but Regina arched a brow. "You can tell me, I'm your girlfriend."

"Not my real girlfriend," Emma pointed out. That didn't dissuade Regina.

"I caused the problem, let me fix it," she said in a husky deep voice, looping a finger in one of Emma's belt loops and dragging her closer, until they were chest to chest.

"Regina-" and Emma's mouth was suddenly dry as if became clear to her what she was implying. "You don't have to do this-"

"But I want to. I take care of my friends." Regina's tone sounded off on the word friends, like it wasn't a term accurate enough to fit them. And why hadn't she said clients? Did she no longer think of Emma as a client?

"Regina-" Emma tried once more.

"Shut up and sit down on the toilet seat." Now it was an order and it sent an excited shiver racing down Emma's spine. She did as asked. Regina towered over her, a demanding look on her face. "Take off your pants. Slowly."

Swallowing in a throat past dry, Emma slid her pants down as asked before kicking them aside, her eyes never leaving Regina's eyes. An unspeakable shift was between them and none of them were up for the task of addressing it right now. Not when such raw emotions were between them.

Regina's eyes now lowered to the way Emma's blue boxers distended. She hooked on finger into the waistband of them and took in what awaited her.

"Now,  _this_  is a cock," she murmured in satisfaction, biting her bottom lip in anticipation. The praise made Emma both feel young and experienced at the same time. Either way, she hardened even more much to Regina's pleasure. Without another word the brunette got down to her knees and slid Emma's boxers off. Her cock sprung up high in the air, tip wet with lubrication.

"Did my little dance really affect you that much?" Regina asked in a husky voice as she teasingly ran the tip of her finger up and down Emma's length which twitched at the touch. Emma curled up her hands to resist the urge to drag them through Regina's hair and put that mouth on where it was needed most. Why was Regina talking when there were more important things she could do with her mouth?

"I think it's obvious what the answer is," Emma made out past shuddering breaths. The music of the party was still pounding outside and it was so strange to think that nothing of that really mattered right now. Not with Regina's hand on her cock, slowly pumping it up and down. Slow beads of lubrication rolled down and Regina used the moisture to smear it around.

It was almost mesmerizing how her hand moved and how her mouth got closer and closer to its destination and then (oh god, oh god,) Emma's hips jolted up as warm lips wrapped around her hard dick. It was so hot and wet and fuck. Emma gripped the toilet lid under her as she felt Regina press down on her hips with manicured hands to keep them from bucking up. Emma had to grit her jaw to keep from crying out, to keep from coming already.

She hadn't gotten laid in months, hadn't even thought of touching herself, and she already knew she wasn't going to last long. But she wanted to if only for the stupid need to impress Regina. Regina who was using one hand to work the base of Emma's shaft and her mouth to suck up and down the length of it. And fuck, she was doing that thing with her tongue on the very tip that had Emma fighting her own orgasm.

She could feel Regina chuckling in amusement at Emma's scrunched up eyes, at her body shaking to deny her own orgasm. Those vibrations almost did her in, almost had her cresting over the edge. Her hips began to move forward again and this time Regina didn't stop them, bobbing her head in rhythm to the motions.

"Re-Regina, I'm going to come," Emma warned in a highly strained voice. But Regina didn't move away, merely continued what she was doing even more aggressively, sucking hard up and down until Emma couldn't hold back anymore. She came inside Regina's mouth with a loud moan she tried to stifle by biting into her fist.

Regina swallowed it all down and pulled free, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Emma finally opened her eyes, tears in the corner of them from how hard she had come and how quickly. She felt...so good right now. So happy. Gently she cupped Regina's cheek, the woman's lip stick smeared by their past activities. She was looking on at her, the depths of her brown eyes warm and filled with the spark of lust.

What did all this mean? What was going to happen between them?

Emma didn't want to think on such hard (at least her dick wasn't hard now) topics anymore. She pulled up Regina, figuring the cold tiled floor must not be comfortable for her knees. Regina's eyes slipped closed and they kissed hard, Emma tasting herself on Regina's lips. The kiss was messy, Emma pulling harshly at Regina's locks and loosening delectable moans from her. She was fired up, lust crowding her mind. She wanted to return the favor. Wanted to take Regina to bed, pin her down and fuck her until she couldn't remember her own name.

The strength of these feelings took away Emma's breath but before she could voice them to Regina there was a knock on the door.

"Open up, someone's gotta go."

Scrambling to her feet, Emma snatched up her pants and just barely managed to put them on before Regina fixed up her hair and lipstick in the mirror and opened up the door.

It was Lily, horrendously drunk and about to be sick. Aurora was holding her up by one arm, Mulan holding up the other. Emma and Regina let them in before closing the door on them.

Concern filled Emma on Lily's state but Regina pulled her away by the wrist. "Let's enjoy the rest of the party," she urged and they went back to where everyone was talking and drinking. Went back to pretending like Regina hadn't just given Emma the best head ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Never really wrote G!P smut before so I hope it's passable.
> 
> Next time: Regina and Emma wake up in bed together? Lily inadvertently third wheels? Emma finally makes some sense of things?


	6. The Mo(u)rning After

God, she was nervous. (So,  _so_ nervous). She smoothed down her hair, wiped her sweating palms on her pants leg, and tried to look herself in the eye in the mirror to boost her confidence. She was on a date. On an actual date for the first time ever with her crush. True, she'd had crushes before but it had never gone this far. Never had her feelings been reciprocated. So she was stressing out (it was warranted in this case). She was nervous. Especially because she had a big secret she would need to come out about later if things went well.

Rolling her shoulders back she left the restaurant bathroom and rejoined her date at the table.

Lily looked stunning in front of her, wearing a simple leather jacket and low halter top with ripped jeans. Emma had overdressed for this, wanting it to go well so she had put on dress pants and a white button down shirt. She had also brought flowers. And chocolates for Lily who had awed and thanked Emma for them.

Had that been too much? Maybe it looked like Emma was desperate for trying so hard. But she had never been on a date with someone she liked who liked her back so this was kinda a big deal for her.

Holy hell, she was impressed she even got this far. Good job here. All those years of suffering under her relentless pining were finally being rewarded.

"You know, you don't have to be nervous," Lily cut into Emma's thoughts.

Damn, Lily had sniffed her out on that. Was Emma sweating? Was that what gave it away? She tried to discreetly pat her brow with the back of her hand, but nope, it was dry. "I'm not nervous."

Lily rolled her eyes in a 'yea okay, don't believe you' manner. "Why don't we just leave this place then. Go somewhere more relaxed?"

"Sure," Emma nodded her head. At that time if Lily had asked her to jump off a cliff she would have done it all to appease her date.

Emma asked for the check, and paid for it. They left the restaurant and ended up going back to Lily's place. There they had a much more chill affair. Watching a movie together, feasting on chips and beer and finally,  _finally_  Emma loosened up. They talked, they laughed, and most importantly when Emma left the dorm that night, she got a goodnight kiss from Lily.

"I expect you to bring your butt back to my place next week."

And now Emma had a follow up! She was literally going to jump out of her skin with joy. She clamped down on her lips to hold her happiness in so Lily didn't think she was a complete loser. Then, once Lily closed the dorm door on her, Emma skipped all the way over to her own dorm and threw herself on her bed, rolling around in joy, not caring that she was wrinkling her clothes up.

From that one date many more spawned and Emma tried her hardest on each one. She didn't want to lose Lily, not when she was the first girl interested in her. Lily was more casual about the whole thing, probably because she had dated before and this was nothing new. Still, it seemed she found Emma's efforts adorable and let the blonde pamper her.

Emma was entirely blissful in her new relationship and it was only when it came to the topic of sex that she became nervous. She wasn't like other girls and she was afraid Lily would reject her. So, she had to suck it up, be the bigger person and actually tell Lily before they made plans for sex.

Surprisingly it went so well that Emma almost felt ridiculous for worrying. Lily relished the idea of being Emma's first partner and teaching her the tricks of the bed and Emma was just happy to be finally accepted. The first time they did it was awkward and not all that satisfying but as they went on, they got better, understood their bodies wants and needs and turn ons and offs.

They didn't become official until the end of senior year, graduating and moving into an apartment together while Emma went to school in the city to get her doctoral education to be a dentist. Lily contributed to the household by working three part time jobs to support her and Emma. Those years were rough but they both helped each other out. And once Emma finished school and got her job, things began to go downhill between them. And Emma, not wanting her only relationship to end, clung onto it, tried to preserve it however she could, only for it to crash and burn anyways.

As Emma blinked awake, the vestiges of her memories about Lily clinging to her like a damp unwelcome sheet, (why was she even dreaming about Lily? Was her mind trying to tell her something?) a groan escaped her mouth. Given the way her body was throbbing and her mouth tasted like a skunk had died in it, she knew without a doubt she had a hangover. Last night came in snippets and blurs to her. Naturally she remembered everything up until she left the bathroom with Regina and the two of them had proceeded to get very very drunk.

They had kissed several times, Emma had received not one but two lap dances, and then Regina had even sucked her off. Just thinking about it made arousal flood her lethargic body and chase away the potential headache she was about to get.

Things had definitely escalated since last night and Emma didn't know what to do about it. Did she act casual like nothing had occurred? Or did she talk about it with Regina?

Shifting on her side to get more comfortable, Emma turned around and nearly gasped out loud when she saw who was in bed next to her. Regina, sound asleep, brunette hair tousled and strands lingering on her softened facial features.

Emma swallowed in a mouth gone dry. Had they slept together last night? Had Emma demanded it of her fake girlfriend? Her heart beat in panic and she sat up, trying not to wake the other woman up with her fretting.

Shit, she hadn't intended to drag Regina into the mess of her broken heart. Into her growing affection. Maybe the other woman wouldn't be affected by this? Maybe they could even continue being friends from this?

…..had the sex been good? Shit, Emma was mad because now she would never know. And she had a feeling sex with Regina would always be good.

"Emma?" a sleepy voice called out to her and Emma looked down to see that Regina was rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," Emma squeaked, flushing. She was no way ready to handle this situation. All signs of her hangover were gone in the face of her panic.

"You were thinking so hard you woke me up," Regina mumbled out. She sat up, the sheet sliding off of her and revealing one of Emma's old band tees.

"Uh, well, um," Emma eloquently explained.

"I sure hope your thoughts are more intelligent than that, or you might just have an issue," Regina chuckled in that deep sleep heavy voice of hers. It made the hairs on Emma's neck stand up in a good way.

Emma swallowed and cleared her tight throat. "No, I just...did we...you know?"

"Have sex?" Regina tipped her head as she ran a hand through her messy locks. "No."

"Oh," Emma breathed out not sure if she was more relieved or disappointed. "Are you sure?" Because Regina had been just as wasted as Emma, maybe she didn't recall properly?

"Trust me, if we had slept together you would have remembered it," Regina assured confidently.

And damn if that didn't make Emma horny. Regina got out of bed, stretching her arms over her head and affording Emma a look of her long legs and the hint of underwear that happened when the over sized shirt rode up. It was a tong. Emma knew it.

"I'm taking a shower first," Regina informed and left to do so.

Emma sighed out heavily and plopped down on the bed. She could use some more sleep. What a whirlwind night last night.

She drifted off fitfully, only awakening when wet finger tips touched her cheek. It was Regina, hair wet and curling up with dampness. "Wake up. It's 2. I hope you don't plan on sleeping all day long."

"I'm allowed to. It's the day after my birthday. So I can." Emma groaned out as she swatted Regina's wet fingers away.

"Well I'm telling you to get up, or else I won't make breakfast for you. And I make a mean omelet."

Emma's stomach gurgled at that. Regina heard it and huffed in humor. "Okay, you got me there," Emma admitted and got up, pulling her hair into a messy bun.

The two of them went downstairs and found the whole place trashed. Cups everywhere, spills on the floor, and crumbs that crunched under barefoot. And on the couch Aurora and Lily were sleeping, tangled up in each other.

"Looks like someone didn't make it home," Regina said and Emma was surprised to hear no vitriol in her voice at the sight of Lily and Aurora. Maybe the feud between them was relaxing? "Wake them up, I'm going to start cooking." Regina side stepped most of the mess and left Emma to poke the tiger. One did not simply wake Lily up. Not if they didn't want to walk away with burning ears or a bruise.

Chickening out, Emma poked Aurora instead. "Hey, wake up, it's morning."

The blonde stirred awake and rubbed her eyes as she found herself under Lily's prone form. "Dudeeeee," she drawled, still looking slightly drunk. "What a night."

"Yea, now get your butt off of my couch and take Lily with you. I've got to clean up this place."

"No prob man. Hey, let me offer you a hand," Aurora offered. "The least I can do after sleeping over here."

Emma would much rather have Aurora and Lily out of the apartment but it didn't look like Aurora would get the gist. "Fine."

She left to the kitchen to get some cleaning supplies. Regina was already there, whipping up some eggs.

"You've got a lot to clean, Emma," she smirked, taking pleasure in Emma's suffering.

"Don't remind me."

A crash came from the living room and Emma sighed.

"What was that?" Regina asked.

"That was Lily waking up." Looks like Aurora had poked the tiger. Some indiscernible screaming followed. "I'm gonna go stop them before they decimate my place anymore."

Emma found them having fallen off the couch with Lily slowly picking herself and Aurora up. "How are you feeling?" Emma asked, knowing Lily had gotten sick last night at the party.

"Hungover, how else?" Lily snarked.

"You want something to drink or eat before you go?"

"Sure, why not. What you cooking?"

"Regina's actually cooking something."

A twisted look entered Lily's face. "Well then, let's see how she measures up. Making fun of our cooking and shit," she grumbled under her breath.

Okay, so maybe inviting Lily to stay over for breakfast hadn't been such a good idea.

"I can't eat the bacon," Aurora added on. "I'm vegan."

Emma merely thinned her lips into a line. Instead of saying anything, she decided to clean up her place. First were the counters and any other surfaces. She got a trash bag and put all the trash in them before going over with a disinfecting wipe.

Aurora helped her out by sweeping the trash from the floors, and Lily sat on the couch, trying to not let her hangover win. Regina came in with the plates of food. It all smelled so good. Emma couldn't wait to eat. Bacon perfectly crispy. And eggs with chives and peppers and some melted cheese in them, along with a healthy portion of chopped up banana and apples as a side.

Regina set the plates down and Emma immediately dug in. "This is so good," she nearly moaned around a mouthful. Lily looked like she very much would like to disparage Regina's cooking, but when she took her first bite, she clamped her lips and swallowed down her pride.

Regina didn't say anything to her success in lording her cooking skill over Lily. Surprising. Maybe they could all get along (was that too much to hope?)

"How did you like the party?" Aurora asked as silence stretched between them.

"Me and Emma had a good time last night," Regina said as she cut into her eggs.

Regina was smug, as if getting Emma off in the bathroom was somehow an important fact in her ongoing dispute with Lily. As if it was a victory above her.

Emma really sometimes didn't understand women.

The breakfast is spent with stilted conversation, a consistently smug Regina, and a hungover Lily who doesn't seem to have any energy at all. After washing the dishes, Regina had to leave, sadly. "I've got some work I brought home and I need to finish it before Monday," she dressed by the door and pulled her jacket on. "And I left something at your place, I'm sure of it, but I don't have anymore time to spend on looking for it. So give me your number so I can call you back for it."

Emma fumbled to get her phone, not at all ready for Regina to be giving out her private number like that. But they were friends, somewhat, so Emma supposed it was warranted.

"Have a good rest of the day," Regina said, pecking Emma swiftly on the cheek.

"Wait!" Emma called out. "What did you leave?" but Regina was already out the door and gone. Emma touched the soft kiss on her cheek and felt her heart melt just a little.

"Yo, man," Aurora sought Emma's attention. "Lily's not feeling too well still and doesn't want to travel. It alright if she stays at your place for a couple more hours?"

Emma furrowed her brows. Lily's hangover must be pretty bad. "Yea, it's fine with me." Emma wasn't an asshole to throw a friend in need on the stoop.

"Cool. I'm gonna go make some medicine for her," Aurora said, sliding on her hemp jacket.

" _Make_  medicine?"

"Yea, I don't believe in like, store bought medicine. They put lead and mercury in the drugs there to try and kill us man."

Emma nodded her head stiffly. "Yea, sure," she said, hoping that the quicker she agreed the faster Aurora would be out of her place with her crazy conspiracies. Aurora soon left and Emma was left alone with Lily who was huddled up under a blanket on the couch end. She looked to be dozing off already and Emma went upstairs to give her some peace and quiet.

* * *

A week quickly passed after Emma's birthday. In that time, Emma and Regina started texting each other. Emma found Regina's lost item- her red lace tong. How could one forget their own underwear and not realize it? Maybe someone a bit scatter brained like Emma, could, but not a woman as put together like Regina. Emma had the foolish thought that maybe Regina left them on purpose so she could come back to visit Emma for them, but she quickly pushed the idea away. (Emma did not masturbate to the tong. She did not (Okay, maybe a little, but she couldn't help it)). Regina said she would drop by whenever she could for them. They didn't really talk about concrete matters. Emma would send dumb memes and Regina would send unimpressed emojis before sending more 'refined' memes.

Emma found herself smiling stupidly at the phone whenever a text from Regina would light it up and she'd race over to the phone and type back a response right away, even if it took Regina hours sometimes to text back.

Regina dropped by to Emma's apartment one evening when Lily and Emma had agreed to do a movie night together. Aurora was out visiting some friends for the whole weekend on some nature retreat so Lily didn't want to be home alone.

Emma obliged because she was too soft to say no. But given the stormy expression on Regina's face, Emma got the feeling she should have said no. "What is she doing here?" Regina hissed at Emma when she saw Lily on the couch, sitting comfortably like she belonged there. Lily's eyes were on the currently playing film but Emma knew she was listening in.

"Watching a movie with me," Emma explained, pulling Regina off to the side so her comment wouldn't spark another feud.

Regina let out a long exhale and closed her eyes briefly so she could regain equilibrium. "You know it's a terrible thing to hang out with an ex in the privacy of your home."

"I told you we were just friends."

"I would prefer if you hung out with your 'just friend' outside of the house, in public," Regina said and wow, what the hell. Why was she acting like some sort of jealous girlfriend. She and Emma were only supposed to act the part not be it.

"Regina..." Emma started, entirely confused but Regina side stepped her and went over to the spot on the couch Emma had been sitting on. "Lily, enjoying the movie?"

What was Regina doing? Was she intending to stay?

Emma stayed where she was and took out her cell phone, texting Regina. She couldn't outright have this debate because Lily would overhear and now there was discord between Emma and Regina which would shatter the illusion of a happy relationship.  _What r u doing? Y r u staying over for the movie?_

"I was, until you came around," was Lily's snappish response.

_What kind of a girlfriend would I be if I didn't?_

"If you let such a small thing bother you, than you really must work on your outlook on life." How Regina could text and come up with a retort at the same time was amazing. Good God, that woman's oral skills. Emma wouldn't mind testing them out again.

Pocketing her phone she decided she might as well join in. She slid in close to Regina, draping the blanket on the couch over the both of them.

"You? A small thing? Not with that waistline," Lily snorted.

Emma could feel Regina tense up next to her; Emma knew what a sore point this was for her, and apparently so did Lily. Before Regina could snap back and make the situation worse, Emma butt in. "Lily, if you can't behave, then you can go."

That seemed to shock Lily, who was not expecting a rise from Emma. "What?" Her wide eyes were almost comical.

"Regina's my girlfriend. I don't care if you don't like her; you won't talk to her like that around me."

"But it's okay for her to bother me?" Lily protested.

"No, I don't want her insulting you either, but she came in and asked you how the movie was going and you were the one who started to cut her ass."

Lily let out a huff here, like a reprimanded child, and folded her arms over her chest before sullenly turning her attentions back to the movie.

Regina turned to Emma and gave her a soft grateful look that made Emma's insides twist nicely.

The three of them watched the movie quietly, though Emma found it hard to concentrate with Regina so close to her. Her smell, her body heat, even the soft gasps of shock she would give out as the action movie progressed, were so distracting. Emma was tempted to touch her, or to move further away if only so she could regain her head.

But it would look weird if Emma moved away from her girlfriend, so she gingerly laid her head down on Regina's shoulder, testing the waters cautiously between them. Regina only put her head on top of Emma's resting one, and snaked her hand under the covers to hold something else.

Regina's hand was on Emma's thigh under the blankets. It wasn't even doing anything there, yet it was enough to put Emma's system on overwork. Excitement ran through her veins. And it translated into her starting to get hard.

Something that Regina seemed to have a fifth sense for because the smirk on her lips that Emma could see through her peripheral only got wider and wider as the more Emma squirmed. Suddenly, she decided she couldn't take it (because the smug smirk was only turning her on more for some reason) and slipped out to go to the bathroom. She should have expected Regina to follow her.

"Regina, I promise I'm fine, I'm just using the bathroom," Emma said preemptively when she heard the woman's heels behind her. Last time Regina had checked up on her  _things_  had happened and Emma didn't want to risk that again because Lily was here.

As she turned to face the woman, her chin was grabbed and jerked upwards into a rough kiss. Not that Emma was going to complain about it, but she had to question it. Once they parted, she licked her lips, tasting traces of Regina on her. "We...we don't have to kiss when we're not in front of Lily."

"Kissing isn't the only thing I had in mind."

Emma furrows her brow. She knows what Regina means, but she can't do this, not right now, not with Lily here and no party to distract her. So she feigns stupidity. Feigns being obtuse."Like what? Eating dinner? Are you hungry?"

"Hungry for something that I certainly do not want to eat in front of Lily," is Regina's low answer as her hands travel down.

Emma perks up at this. "Ah! Granny's diner! You wanna go eat there? I knew I'd win you over." Personally she wanted to bring Regina back there a second time.

Regina's hands stop on Emma's hips and she leans back a little, dark eyes assessing Emma's face as if waiting for the punchline to a joke she dislikes. When she doesn't find it, she lets out a heavy sigh. "How is it that you can notice the smallest of things about someone but not something that is glaringly obvious."

"Huh?" Emma blinked, confused.

"Nevermind. I'll see you back on the couch."

Emma's shoulders droop. She'd done a good job of dissuading Regina, but it hurt to do so.

 _Another time,_ she promises to herself. She'll make things up to Regina. Then, she goes back out there to finish the movie.

Things are tense for the rest of it, and when Regina leaves with the missing pair of undergarments she had left behind, she doesn't so much as give Emma a goodbye kiss and that hurts more than Emma can comprehend.

* * *

Feeling lost, Emma went to the one place she knew she could get some solid advice. Granny's diner. She saddled up to the counter, waiting for an opportune moment to snag the older woman's attention. Currently she was busy barking at the cooks to hurry up with the meals.

When she was done, she turned around and immediately spotted Emma's glum face. Approaching Emma while wiping her hands on her apron, she asked, "You look troubled. What's wrong Emma?"

Emma sighed heavily, fiddling with her hands. "I'm in a rough place Granny."

"Don't tell me you've fallen into drugs! You know crack is bad for you," Granny said sternly and with a degree of alarm behind her spectacles.

"No, no, it's none of that. I mean, I'm in a hard place romantically," Emma laughed off Granny's overt concern on the wrong issue.

"Give me a moment to finish something up and I'll be right over to talk it out with you, pumpkin," Granny cuffed Emma's chin across the counter before she turned on her heel and hollered out, "Harold, how many times did I tell you, stop making the eggs runny! They're not competing for first place in a race!"

Already feeling better at the idea of being able to talk out her issues with Granny, Emma got herself a booth in the corner of the partially crowded diner and ordered a hot chocolate and some fries. She was about a third into her fries before Granny approached the table, sitting down in front of Emma.

"Alright, spit it out. What's got you all twisted up?"

Emma took a deep breath, because it was a long story, and she was going to need to explain everything to Granny quickly. She didn't want to take up anymore of the woman's work time if she could help it- it just was she didn't have any other motherly figure to turn to for this.

"So, as you know Lily and I broke up. A long time ago- about half a year by now. And I still wasn't quite over her and it hurt me to see she was already dating someone else. I couldn't move on because I was stuck on her, and then Mary's wedding came up. I wanted to go to be there for Mary but I didn't want to show up alone because I didn't want to seem like a loser to Lily. So, I uh, hired some help with that."

"You mean to tell me all those nights ago, the stunning woman you brought into my diner was hired to go out with you?"

"She's an escort, so it's her job," Emma clarified, not wanting Granny to be too sorely disappointed with her.

"I hope you treated her nicely."

"I did. I was super nice to her. So nice in fact, that we've become good friends at this point. But, despite us being friends...I kind of...I think I want more?" Emma furrowed her brow up. Feelings were always difficult for her because they always got rejected by others.

"You've been seeing her?" Granny asked.

"Well, I told Lily Regina was my girlfriend and Lily wanted to grab dinner with us, and then there were other events that happened as well that lead to me having to ask Regina to stop by. Like my birthday." And what a stop that had been. Emma hadn't wanted Regina to stop at all. She squirmed at her seat when the memory made heat travel down between her legs. "And spending all that time with Regina made me realize how awesome she was. But I don't know what to do about it because I still care for Lily. The two of us talked out our break up and are friends now. And Regina is so high class that I'm scared to make a move, plus, I don't know if I'm ready for love again."

Finishing her spiel, Emma sagged into the back of her chair, tapping her fingers as she waited for Granny to digest this.

"Sounds to me like maybe you don't care for Lily the way you used to, if your heart has already moved on and so quickly."

Emma shrugged here.

"Do you even want to get over Lily because it seems like you are clinging onto her unnecessarily. Almost like you don't want to get over her."

That hit a chord with Emma. She knew she was unnecessarily holding on but she couldn't quite help it. There were just some people in life, or some impressions, that could not be forgotten entirely.

"She was the first woman to ever love me back. She was a  _first_. It's hard to let go of those, or think of them in a largely negative manner."

"You don't need to diminish your experience with Lily. I'm simply telling you it's time to move on. And what I've seen of Regina is that she is lovely and has got a good head on her shoulders."

"I'm not sure if she likes me back. We've shared kisses, and stuff," no way Emma was going to elaborate exactly what that stuff was, "but...I don't know if it's because of her job obligations or not."

"Then ask her out on a date without it being part of the job," Granny suggested.

"But what if she says no? She's classy and smart, and rich. I don't have much to offer her."

"Don't devalue yourself, Emma. You have a lot of darling traits too. You have a comfortable job, a nice apartment, and you're personality is loyal. There isn't anything you wouldn't do for someone you love."

That made Emma feel a bit more confident- but only about 20 percent more. She didn't want to risk things with Regina. Didn't want to disrupt the status quo.

"Learn more about Regina. Find some of her flaws, some of her likes, her wants. It'll help you see her as merely human."

Emma already knew some of Regina's flaws- her continued insecurity about her body image. And she knew her likes- bitter drinks, seafood, being treated humanely for her escort jobs. Her wants- now that was a puzzle to Emma.

"Alright, I'll start by asking her out for coffee."

That pleased Granny. "Good. Bring her here, so I can see for myself if she likes you the same way you like her and so I can get it through that thick skull of yours that she does," Granny tapped her knuckles against Emma's head. "Because I know she does." How Granny was confident on that Emma would never understand, especially since Granny had talked to Regina for only five minutes.

"Thanks, Granny," Emma smiled, feeling much better now. She wasn't too confident about what to do with her life (let's be real, when had she ever?) but it felt nice to have someone listen to her and give her solid advice (that she probably would try to implement but fail at doing so).

"I gotta get back to work, but feel free to drop by whenever with Regina for that coffee." The old woman got up and went back behind the counter. Emma enjoyed the rest of her meal in silence, not thinking about anything in particular before she paid, giving a hefty tip, and left to go home.

Regina and Emma never do get to go on that coffee date because a hurricane of emotions and events strike their lives and change things between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Next time: Emma's going to have to make a hard choice? Lily makes her move? And Regina gets pissed off?
> 
> I know a lot of complicated feelings will be had about the next chapter (I'm already mentally and emotionally preparing for them lol) buuuuuuuut, it's the climax of the story and pure swanqueen goodness awaits afterwards.


	7. Tough Choice(s)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Whelp, this chapter has arrived, finally. It's rock bottom (as far as concerning this fic) and happiness awaits next chapter, though I won't spoil how.

Emma came into work the next day, ready to put her best foot forward. She greeted her receptionist before going into the back and changing into her work clothes. Her attire consisted of a white coat and blue latex gloves over her regular clothes. With that she was ready to admit her first customer of the day.

Or so she thought, until she saw the woman who came in through the door. A classy pea coat around her shoulders and a tasteful scarf wrapped around her neck while heels elevated her height. "Regina," Emma gaped, reminding herself to close her mouth least she look like a fish. "What are you doing here?"

"That's obvious. I came to get my teeth checked. You are a dentist after all," she said calmly and with a little tilt of her head as if to wordlessly convey how worried she was over Emma's blatant shock.

"Yea, but how did you know where I work? You've never come here before," Emma asked as Regina strode into the room, taking her coat and scarf off and getting ready on the chair there like it was completely normal to do so.

"Well," Regina drawled, as she settled down. "I heard you were the best. And I only accept the best."

Emma furrowed her brow. "Uh, right. So what seems to be the problem?" she put x-rays of Regina's mouth up on the light box that Emma's assistant had taken. They seemed perfectly fine. She tried to shrug off the whole weirdness of this situation. Of Regina intruding in her work space. The brunette may act like this was normal but they both knew it wasn't.

Why was Regina actually here? Was it for their fake dating situation?

As Emma came around to position Regina's chair more accordingly, the woman latched onto her belt, looping her even closer to her. "Emma, I believe I will need extensive oral work," she said, dropping her voice to husky levels as she laid flat on the chair while Emma towered over her. She tugged even harder on Emma's belt, somehow undoing it easily. Now her hand was straying lower, teasingly so.

Emma swallowed hard. Regina's eyes flicked up to meet hers. "And you're the only dentist I know who has the proper tools to help me." Her lips parted in wanting, in preparation.

The innuendo was not lost on Emma and she could feel herself harden at the words. Regina must have felt it too because her hand was right where Emma's dick was.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to respond, a loud noise jolted her attention away and she woke up, drooling onto her pillow. It took her a second to realize her surroundings and when she did she nearly threw her stupid alarm clock out the window. Then she turned onto her back, rubbed her face, and let out a tired groan.

She had been having sexual dreams about Regina for over a week now. All different scenarios, most of which ended or were interrupted before anything really got started, much like today. Each morning she would wake up harder than a rock and having to take care of it in the shower. It was frustrating because she didn't know how to get the dreams to stop.

Well, she technically did. Regina could do a great job at taking care of it but Emma couldn't exactly ask Regina. Despite the brunette saying she wouldn't be opposed to sleeping with Emma, the blonde would never do that. It felt like paying for sex. And she didn't want that. She didn't want to use her money to get such needs fulfilled.

Sighing, she dragged herself from bed and hopped into the shower so she could take care of her not so little friend downstairs. When she got out of the shower, feeling substantially less horny, she noticed she had a new message on her phone. It was one from Lily, asking if Emma wanted to go see a concert with her.

**I got two tickets. But Aurora is skipping out cuz she's got a cold. U game?**

Emma hesitated a bit before typing an answer out.  **Sure. What time and what place?**

Maybe going out with Lily and enjoying a night of music would help Emma deal with the mess going on inside her. Just thinking about Regina made her insides warm and light.

Damn. She had it bad. For a woman who wasn't even hers.

Shaking her head and ever disappointed in herself, she got ready for work.

* * *

Lily arrived at Emma's apartment so they could pregame a little before going to the concert. She had dressed up in all black and a leather jacket for this day. Emma had stayed simple by wearing a flannel and jeans. "How much do I owe you for the tickets?" she asked when Lily dumped a whole six pack of beer on the table for them to drink.

"You don't owe me anything. You're doing me a favor by coming, that way I don't have to waste the ticket."

Alright, if that was the case. Emma wasn't going to argue against it. "I have some wine in the fridge if you want some of that instead?" she offered.

"Sure. I'm game for getting blasted tonight," Lily said, throwing herself onto the couch and spreading out her legs onto the coffee table, as she snapped open one of the beers. Emma went into the kitchen and got them both glasses, which she topped with a hearty amount of wine.

"So whose playing?" she asked as she carefully carried them from the kitchen without spilling them.

"Some rock group. I don't really know them, but they had decent priced tickets and so I figured why not see them," she said, slurping loudly on her foaming beer before switching to the wine. "You like shitty rock music?"

"Do I ever," Emma chuckled. She had been heavily into metal and rock in high school during her angst years. Black eyeliner and black clothing had been too common on her body during those times, but she had slowly grown out of it and fallen in love with indie music that was more calming. Lily still liked rock, but only the popular bands so the fact she was going to a lesser known one showed her maturing and becoming not so popularity focused. "But I like to think I'm a bit more refined now."

"You would think adults would be, but we can still have shitty tastes. Like in relationships."

Okay...what was that comment about? Emma decided to ignore it. "We learn from our mistakes," was all she said before gulping down half her wine. She really hoped Lily wouldn't make this night weird.

The rest of their conversation was calmer, with them chugging down the drinks and trying to search up some of the tracks the band had so they could at least shout out the chorus for half of the songs. The music wasn't great but the band was known for making trashy but catchy songs.

By the time Emma was on her second beer, she was tipsy and feeling ready to party.

"One last beer? And then we gotta get there before it's too late," Lily burped as she reached for the last two cans. She tossed one to Emma and they both cracked theirs open in unison before clinking them and chugging them down.

Lily crushed her empty can against her forehead once done and stuck out her tongue in a show of success. Her new tongue piercing glimmered in the light.

"Since when did you get one?" Emma asked, indicating to Lily's tongue.

"Recent. Apparently it feels better when you go down on a girl."

Emma's brows went up. "Really?"

"Yea."

"And does it?"

Lily smiled something wicked. "Aurora says she loves it."

She says it like she's competing with Emma over who can pleasure their partners better and Emma has to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. Lily always was competitive for no reason sometimes.

They call the uber, clean up the empty cans, and get into the car when it pulls up. The venue is small and it smells like piss and sweat, wooden boards creaking under foot. Half the crowd is drunk. The other half is talking loudly. The set has just begun and the bass blares from the speakers horrifically. They order drinks as usual and push their way to the front of the crowd as best as they can.

From there they bob their heads and rock out to the music they hastily googled. A slow smile creeps up Emma's face. She forgot how much fun it used to be to hang out with Lily. These past few months have been rocky between them, because of the bad break up and the way Lily was being bitchy to Regina.

But this...this is nice. Emma can almost forget all about her romantic troubles under the sway of rock music and the call of alcohol in her blood. Before she knows it, the concert is over and she and Lily are ubering it back, chatting loudly about the set and which songs were nice.

The cab drops them off in front of Emma's apartment and she's tired, the adrenaline of the outing having drained her. Surprisingly, Lily gets out of the car too.

"Uh, aren't you supposed to stay in the cab?" Emma asks, just as the car drives away and she finds Lily drunkenly swaying too closely behind her just as Emma has scrambled to take out her keys to open her door.

Lily shakes her head, a serious expression on her face.

"We need to talk, Emma."

Well. That can't be good.

"Can't this wait until tomorrow?" she tries to delay, a hint of a whine in her voice.

"No," is the resolute answer.

Emma hesitates, worrying what this could be about but knowing its probably nothing favorable.

"I've been thinking a lot about our past relationship..." she said, a bit slow to say this, her words slightly slurred.

 _Oh no. Oh no oh no ohnoohno,_  Emma thought in increasing panic.

"I still care for you and that's why I was and still am such a right bitch. Because I'm jealous. And the last few years of our relationship I took you for granted. I should have put more effort in but it just felt so nice having someone else entirely care for me. Can we have another go?" she asked, dark eyes sparkling in the glow of the lamppost.

Emma had to be asleep. She had to be. Otherwise how was this happening. She couldn't comprehend things fast enough.

"You have Aurora," is all she can think to sputter out.

Lily shrugs. "She was just a rebound and I think she's getting too chummy with Mulan anyway. They met at your birthday party."

Emma shook her head, at a loss. "Lily, I-"

"Think about it. And then give me an answer," Lily said, swiftly pecking Emma on her cheek before leaving down the block, flipping her collar up to keep the chill away.

Emma watched her go with concerned eyes before she let out a long swear word into the cold air.

"Fuck!"

* * *

Lily texted her the next morning.  **So?**

Emma stared at the two letters and question mark and didn't know what to do except exit out of the text conversation and ignore it. She couldn't deal with this.

She had wanted to get together with Lily for the longest time. But Lily was with Aurora and Emma was with Regina. Was Lily planning on breaking up with Aurora? Emma sighed. She just didn't know what to do.

So she didn't do anything.

Emma knew it was messed up to ignore Lily entirely, but she just couldn't deal with her right now. Not after that brutally honest confession. And there was the situation with Regina to contend with as well. Emma liked her, and Regina seemed to like to spend time with her, but nothing was certain.

Emma sighed out heavily. This was it. She was going to have to take the plunge and figure out if Regina liked her or not. Because if she didn't then there was no point in wasting either of their time.

So she texted Regina and asked her when she was next free. Not for an appointment but for a date. She made it very clear that this was going to be different from their usual meet ups and she waited for a response back. This was very risky and Emma's hands sweated while she dreaded the text back. She could barely concentrate in her job and she had to keep changing her gloves because she'd sweat them up badly.

When her phone pinged, she nearly stabbed her patient in the jaw. She finished her work with them before she lunged for her phone. But it was only a text from Lily.  **I broke up with Aurora. Now it's ur move.**

Emma felt her mouth dry out. Holy fuck. Her not doing anything had done something. Something bad. She had to stop this. She didn't want Lily making such big decisions like these. Fuck. Poor Aurora. She didn't hate the woman, neither like her, but being dumped wasn't fun.

 **We need to talk**  was her hasty text back.

She couldn't help but notice there was still no reply back from Regina.

She tried to not let it bother her. Maybe this was a sign. A sign that things weren't meant to be with Regina. Maybe.

God. Emma didn't know anymore. Her brain hurt from thinking. So she was going to go with her heart.

* * *

"So?" Lily's first words out of her mouth when she meets up with Emma mimic her text message. She looks hopeful.

Emma looks dreadful.

"Will you go out with me again, Emma? Will you be my girlfriend?"

This is it. The moment Emma has been working towards to so stringently. The whole reason she hired Regina. She digs deep into her heart, and let's it speak for her.

And she expects the word 'yes' to fall from her lips but instead she finds herself saying, "No."

She shocks herself and Lily with those words. But now that they're out there she realizes she means it, that this is what she wants.

"I don't want you back, Lily. I'm happy with Regina. She makes me feel appreciated. She makes me feel like I'm loved and not just taken for granted."

Lily's face turns red. "I broke up with Aurora for you!"

"I didn't ask you to," is Emma's calm answer and suddenly she feels more at ease with denying Lily. She had thought for the longest time she had craved Lily. Had wanted her back. But she didn't. She had only clung onto her because she was afraid that no one else could love her. But Emma was a well functioning adult. She was sure she could find someone else to love her. And she already knew who she wanted that someone else to be. Brunette hair, a killer smile, and ruby red lips. She wanted to be with Regina. To be in an actual relationship with her.

It was time for Emma to move on.

"But-but-I-" Lily doesn't seem to know what to say and it's amusing to see her so flustered.

"I'm sorry, Lily. But I've moved on. We had what we had, but I've outgrown us." Emma wouldn't feel remorse for this. She wouldn't.

"You know what," Lily finds her tongue and it's filled with acid. "Fuck you. Fuck you, EMMA SWAN!" And then she storms off with a screech.

"You already did," Emma calls out after her and Lily flips her the bird.

Emma shakes her head, sighing heavily.

Now what? Were she and Lily done forever? Would they not even be friends?

Maybe it would be better if they had some space from each other. Something that Emma should have done from the start instead of struggling to bring them together in any way possible.

A ping resounds from Emma's phone and it's a text from Regina.  **Busy this week. Maybe next?**

It's not a no, and it makes Emma's lips curl up in a smile.

She's going to take Granny's advice. Perhaps Emma still has a chance for better love.

She pushes the incident with Lily out of her head, knowing that she can expect several angry texts from Lily after this, but the thought doesn't bother her as much as it once would.

She just wonders how Aurora is doing.

* * *

But they never do get to go on that date, because Emma spots Regina walking arm in arm with some other woman, an older one, down the street towards the romantic part of the park. The evening sun is highlighting Regina's hair perfectly and Emma is so distracted by it, that she almost doesn't notice the other woman on her arm until she does.

And a sick heavy feeling settles into her gut. Right. Regina's job as an escort.

Regina is laughing at something the woman is saying, acting like she's the most important person in the world and looking at her like she's everything.

She's looked at Emma like that before and it makes Emma feel even sicker to see that her and Regina's interactions can be cheapened to just a trick of the trade. Regina doesn't even seem to register Emma walking down the street towards them. Her eyes go right over her like she's just someone else. No, even worse than that. Like she's just air.

And it makes Emma realize something else.

Something she needs to face now before she falls in even deeper. She swallows thickly and hurries home so she can avoid the pain of her aching heart.

Being an adult and making adult decisions really sucks. She texts Regina that they really need to meet to talk and Regina agrees to it after an hour, which must be when her date is over, and Emma sighs, settles her head down against her pillows and tries to go to sleep. But her heart is too heavy and it keeps her up.

* * *

The two of them are nervous when they meet up on a bench, that same bench from Mary's wedding. When they left the party and just sat and talked. It's where they began in a way, and it's a nice little full circle that they've done.

Regina looks more uncertain than nervous. Emma's the one spewing with nerves and she clamps her hands together and tried to pull her shit together.

"You said you needed to talk?" Regina inquires when she sees Emma on the bench, just looking down at her shoes and not saying anything. Regina stands by the bench, not sitting down, just hands shoved into her coat and looking so damned pretty as always.

"Yea, I do. With you," Emma clarified, though there was no need to. She got up, and shook her hands out, trying to control her nerves. It would be best if she just spat it out and got it over with. Like ripping off a bandage.

"Look, Regina...I think we should stop this whole fake dating thing," Emma said, unable to look Regina in the eye entirely.

If she had, she would have seen a glimmer of fear go through. "What are you saying?"

Emma shrugged though she knew full well what she was trying to tell Regina.

"Emma, explain to me right now," Regina snapped and shit, she was not sounding too happy about this.

"I don't think it's a good idea anymore."

"Is this about what happened last week?"

Emma shrugged again.

"Damn it, Emma, talk to me like an adult."

That statement pissed Emma off because she was a fucking adult. And she was talking it out. What more did Regina need from her? More suffering? "I am talking to you like an adult, but I guess nothing I do will ever be enough for you." Anger made her eyes jump up to Regina's frustrated face.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Now Regina sounded exasperated.

"You know what I mean."

"If this is about my escort job, you knew damn well about it. You knew I would go on dates with others. I can't help it if you get jealous."

That was part of the issue but not all of it. "I know it's job, and yes, I was a bit jealous but I was mostly hurt you didn't even deign to look at me."

"Emma, I can't be talking to my old clients when I'm on a date with a new client. It disrupts my work balance. I thought you would understand that."

"I did, after thinking it over, but that's not why I'm telling you I don't want us to pretend to be together anymore."

Emma let the statement hang in the air. When Regina seemed to digest it, she took a step back, a hurt expression on her face as she drew to an unsavory conclusion. "Oh." Was all that left her lips.

"I didn't want things to end this way...but seeing you at that job made me realize that I'm just someone whose pathetically pretending to dating you because I can't get anyone of my own. That I'm clinging on to you instead of moving on like a healthy person would."

"You got back together with Lily." Regina said it like it was an assured fact. Said it with a degree of pain.

"This isn't about her. It's about me. I need to change. I need to grow as a person. But I would still very much like us to be friends." Emma would very much like to be something more with Regina but with the escort job...she didn't think it could work out.

Another relationship, down the drain. Emma was going to be very lonely for a while. Lonely and heartbroken. But she couldn't keep clinging onto relationships that had no future. There was no point in clinging onto Lily when Emma had matured beyond it. And there was no point to clinging onto to Regina when all their dates had merely been a job to her and nothing more.

Emma had been silly to think that they could be something special.

Regina scoffed in disbelief. "Friends, as if we could ever be just that." And then she stormed off in her heels.

"Regina. Regina!" Emma called out after her, but made no move to follow. Regina wasn't hers to go after. And Emma had sworn to start her love life anew. So she swallowed down her words and left in the opposite direction of the brunette, the distance between them stretching into miles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Next time: a special reunion? A confirmation? A new relationship?


	8. Too (T)rue

 

Emma didn't spend her time going on dates, or sleeping around with other women. With her special condition, that was never going to be a viable option. Instead, she spent time reflecting and working on herself.

For too long she's had issues of never being confident, of never feeling good enough to go after the girl she liked. She took each rejection too personally. And she needed to stop thinking this way. She needed to invest in herself, before she could be ready to invest in someone else. And while she had wished it could be Regina, she could not keep up a relationship with an escort. And she wouldn't be selfish enough to ask Regina to quit her job when it brought her so much delight to do it.

She read books on confidence, watched uplifting videos, and even switched up her wardrobe. The way one dressed had a lot to do with being confident and she was trying to be her best self. She called Ruby up and invited her out on a girls shopping spree.

Belle came along with them and the trio revamped Emma's new lifestyle.

"Thank god you're dropping the flannels. That only works for lumberjacks and lesbians," Ruby had said as they perused some crop tops in the store.

"But I am a lesbian," Emma had frowned, a hint of a whine in her voice. "Do I not act gay enough?"

"You're plenty gay," Belle assured as she hummed and set down the shirt that had looked nice but was too expensive to be bought.

"You've only been with one girl. You're not a true successful lesbian," Ruby teased, showing that she wasn't serious.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Yea, and so have you."

"That's different. I made out with at least three other girls before Belle. How many did you make out with before Lily?"

When Emma didn't answer, Ruby smiled. "See, I knew it."

"But she has Regina now," Belle pointed out and the words made Emma's heart drop. She didn't even have Regina now, because the sham of their relationship was over.

"Actually," and here she cleared her throat though her words came out as a squeak. "We're not together anymore."

Ruby dropped the hanger in her hands as she turned wide eyes on Emma. "What do you mean you're not together anymore?!" she screeched, causing the cashier to glare at them.

"I broke it up with her," Emma confessed, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"Why? Are you sick? Are you feeling okay?" Ruby touched Emma's forehead, causing Emma to swat her intrusive fingers away.

"I'm fine. I just...I needed space to rediscover myself. Jumping from one relationship to another like I did was not healthy."

"Dude, Regina was perfect. She was classy and she was so into you," Ruby chastised. "You better damn well discover yourself, and fast, before someone snatches Regina away from you."

That was an ever constant and pressing fear for Emma, but honestly, there wasn't much she could do about it. All she could do was learn to be her best self and then hope that perhaps she could talk to Regina. Figure something out between them.

But maybe it was all just wishful thinking.

"Man, I am so disappointed in you," Ruby sighed.

"Don't be so harsh on her," Belle said sweetly. "Everyone needs some alone time to practice being themselves."

"Well she better discover her inner lesbian goddess and soon, or else Regina is not going to stick around long. Not with that banging body and that steady of a job. She's wife material."

That sent Emma's mood spiraling down. Which was not supposed to be the purpose of this trip. "Thanks Ruby," she mumbled out sarcastically.

"I'm only trying to be realistic," Ruby said. "I'm not saying doing you is bad. Do you. Do you hard. But also remember that just because your life is on pause, doesn't mean other people's are."

It's the truth, and it's good advice but it makes Emma feel rueful.

"Why don't we look at some pants? Something beside jeans," Belle suggests and grabs Emma over to look at them and to distract her from Ruby's harsh truths.

Ten stores and three hours later, Emma has three new pairs of pants (one is jeans because she's not just yet ready to give them up) five sweaters, six shirts, two jackets, a beanie, and some heels that she knows she's going to regret.

"Mission success," Belle says once they step out to get some mall court food. "You are going to feel like a whole new person."

"Hopefully," Emma grumbles as she munches on some fries.

"Which means you've gotta try your new clothes out on some chicks at the bar," Ruby interjects.

"I don't know about that. I don't really feel like finding another girlfriend right now."

"I'm not talking about a girlfriend. Just about getting some action," Ruby winks. "It must be a while."

It has, but Emma's not gonna reveal that. "I'm not even ready to look at another woman yet."

"Damn, the break up with Regina that bad?"

The break up wasn't bad. It's just that Emma doesn't think she'll be able to find anyone else like her, and she doesn't want anyone who isn't. Which is kind of sad given she asked Regina for space because she couldn't be with her because of the escort job.

"And how's Lily?" Belle asks, sipping quietly on her drink while Ruby slurps her soda.

"Not...good," Emma says honestly. She gets at least one pissed off message from Lily each morning. She's learned to block the woman's number. "She broke up with Aurora, citing she was doing it for me, even though I never asked her to. She acted like she expected us to get back together."

"Wasn't that what you wanted for the longest time?" Ruby pointed out before going back to her slurping.

"It was...but then I had Regina and I was happy with her."

"Not happy enough. You dumped her!"

"I know."

"I really don't understand it Emma. I really don't. How do you throw away such an amazing woman." Ruby shook her head.

Emma couldn't explain anything without giving away Regina's escort profession so she kept her lips clamped shut.

"Ease up on her, will you?" Belle asked Ruby, touching her on the arm. "She's having a hard time as it is."

"Sorry," Ruby grumbled. "I'm just curious."

"How's Aurora doing?" Belle asked to change the subject.

Emma perked up at the opening. "Great. She's dating Mulan right now. I wasn't expecting that."

"Me either. Where did they meet?"

"At my party," Emma answered Belle. "I didn't even really notice."

"Yea, well you were busy getting the best lap dance of your night," Ruby stated with a wide smirk.

Emma can't help but grin at that, because really, Regina's lap dance had been hot as fuck and she still thought back to it now and then when she needed to jerk off. "Yea, I was."

 

It's been a month since Emma cut off contact with Lily and Regina and she doesn't expect the text message from Regina. The number has stayed silent for so long and Emma expects it to never show up on her screen until now. It asks if Emma can meet with her at some fancy restaurant. Emma ruminates on the offer for a couple of minutes, debating hotly the topic inside her own mind.

Regina was the one who said they couldn't be friends, but now she was extending an olive branch it seemed. Maybe she had cooled down and was ready to talk. But what would they have to talk about? They had never really dated. They were never really together or even in love. They hadn't even acknowledged the feelings between each other.

Would that be what they talked about at dinner? With some apprehension Emma clicked out a quick yes and spent the next hour coordinating places with Regina.

Emma put on her new wardrobe when the dinner date finally arrived. She didn't want to look like she was trying too hard, but she didn't also want to look sloppy. The cab brought her to a high end place and Emma gulped, worried for the contents of her wallet. She texted Regina she was here and got a message to meet inside.

The place was even more swanky inside and Emma was beginning to second guess her idea to not dress up. She hoped no one would notice her casual shoes and comfy sweater. Regina was already at the table and she was wearing a dress. It wasn't something terribly overstated but professional and yet a bit flirtatious. When she saw Emma sit down, a small ghost of a relieved smile crossed her face.

"I'm glad you could join me for dinner."

"I admit, I've missed you," Emma said as she pulled a napkin over her lap. "Even if we were never friends." Because she has. Regina's body, her smile, even the scent of her perfume wafting over along with that sinful timbre of her voice.

Regina seems almost taken aback by Emma's honesty. By her bold statements. Emma's always been reserved with her feelings, with putting her emotions out there. The shock quickly turns into an impressed look. "No, Emma. I didn't want to just be friends with you, because I wanted to be so much more with you."

Emma can feel something in her chest soar and she bites down on the inside of her cheek to keep her smile small.

"That was why I was so confused when you sprung your declaration onto me," Regina continued, swirling the wine in her glass and smelling it before sipping it. Emma took a sip of the wine too, because she needed something to wet her dry mouth. "I understand it was a bit out of the blue, but I felt like it was something I needed to do," Emma explained. It seemed this dinner was about remedying the stiff air between the two of them.

"Lily came onto me one night, saying she wanted to be in a relationship with me and I turned her down-"

"Why?" Regina couldn't help but interject. "Why turn her down? Wasn't that what you wanted all along?"

"I thought I wanted it all along. But in truth," and here was the big fucking moment (super fucking big) "I wanted you," Emma said softly. She was done hiding behind her feelings. Here, they were all out on the table. Let Regina decide if she wanted to answer them or not.

A smile broke out on Regina's face. So brilliant it almost blinded Emma. "Oh, Emma," she sighed out. "Then why did you end things with me?"

"Because I don't know how I can handle dating you while you're an escort. I know you like it. And I know it's your job. But I can't...I can't share you with others. I don't want to. And so I'm stuck in a sticky situation. Because I thought maybe some distance would stop me from liking you, but it hasn't. And yet I can't have you because I don't even know if you're entirely into me. And I also don't want to make you choose between me or a job." Emma knew she was rambling but she had to get this all off her chest.

Regina reached over the table and placed her hand on Emma's. "Emma, there was never a choice. If you said you wanted to date me for real, I'd drop my job for you."

"Really?" Emma breathes out, because no one has sacrificed that much for someone like her.

"I would. Because you mean a lot to me, even though we haven't known each other for so long. And I'd rather have you, your beautiful amazing dorky self, than some job I do only for the sake of bothering my mother."

"But...but don't you need the extra cash? Don't you get a kick out of annoying your mother?" Emma says, all in soft rapt wonder as Regina's hand rubs hers lovingly. She can't believe that someone as special as Regina would do all that for her.

"Emma," she chuckles, dark eyes sparkling with joy, with life since the last time Emma saw her. "I'm very well off, I can assure you. And I can always find another way to annoy my mother. Trust me, there is no end to the ways I can piss her off. But there is only one you. And I want it."

"I want that for you too," Emma says, honest and leaning in and all hot whispers and promises.

Something hungry shifts on Regina's face and it's not for the food.

"May I get you ladies something to start with?" the waiter asks and they barely notice him. Their eyes never leave each other's face as Regina makes a swift decision. "Something has come up. I'm afraid we must leave."

He bids them a good evening as they rise, collect their things, Regina leaving money for the wine and then they are off, out into the dark evening.

"Where are we going?" Emma asks as Regina tugs them along by their conjoined hands.

"To do something we should have done a long time ago," is the hasty and determined answer.

Emm, is still a bit unclear about such language (she's not really good at flirting, okay. She knows it, everyone and their mother knows it) so she asks to clarify. "Like what?"

Regina pauses in the middle of the street and shakes her head as Emma stops in front of her.

"God, Emma," Regina groaned out in frustration. "How many more times do I have to say this until you get it. I want you to fuck me."

Emma blushed something fierce as her heart thumped in her chest. "Y-you do? I thought you said you were okay if I ever asked you to fuck me cuz of your job and oh-!" Emma cut herself at that sudden realization there. "You were actually asking me to do it to you, not as a client. I thought it was just something you said to make me feel better."

"No, I was serious," Regina husked as she approached Emma, running her hands up toned arms. "Now, are you going to fuck me or what?"

And because everything is different between them, because Emma is no longer paying Regina as an escort, Emma does.

They stumble into Regina's apartment, which is way closer than Emma's. Emma actually doesn't get to see much of it because Regina's pressing her into the wall, tugging on Emma's collar, lips plundering and conquering every inch of Emma's mouth, not that she minds. It all feels so good. The taste, the heat of Regina. Even the little sounds she lets out as they make out furiously like a couple of teenagers.

Emma's back is against the door while Regina fumbles with the key card to unlock it. And then Emma's backed up against the wall, the couch, the kitchen counter as they tango their way to the bedroom at last. There she is pushed against the bed, rising up on her elbows so she can watch Regina undress. The dress goes down in one quick zip and drops to the floor. Regina doesn't even give Emma time to appreciate her now scantily clad form before she's stepping out of the dress and straddling Emma's waist, dipping down to kiss her once more. Emma's hands take in the smooth rise of Regina's ass, of her back, as she grips down, leaving marks.

Arousal is pounding through her veins and she's never felt more alive than right now. And it's clear how excited she is, given the large bump noticeably straining against her zipper. "You are wearing too many clothes," Regina growls out and Emma gulps at the low timbre of her voice, before she hurries to comply. Regina moves off of her, allowing Emma to hop up and toss off her sweater and jeans in haste until she is standing in nothing but her bra and some briefs that are very tented.

Regina's eyes dip down Emma's abdomen to her crotch and a smirk curls up her lip at the knowledge that that is all for her. She makes a come hither motion from her spot on the bed and Emma complies, connecting their lips and this time kissing Regina slowly, savoring the desire shared between them, panting hot on lips that nip and tug playfully.

Regina's hands creep down to the waistband of Emma's briefs and pull them down, revealing Emma's stark desire for her in the dark of the room. Once like that, she leans back, spreading her legs wide open. "You've made me very wet Emma. What are you going to do about it?" she asks, running a thumb over her swollen bottom lip before tilting her head coyly and waiting on what Emma will do.

"I'll fix it," Emma promises, getting down to her knees. She wants to taste Regina first. Besides, if she enters Regina right now, then she'll come before the woman gets any pleasure and Emma will not abide that.

She gets a good grip on Regina's knees, spreading her apart more, before leaning in and kissing up and down the inside of her thighs gently. She can feel the flesh there quiver with each press and Regina watches from above intently, eyes hooded and blown wide with lust.

Emma almost can't believe that they're doing this. She wouldn't have expected this except inside of her wildest dreams. But it was happening and she was going to relish every last second of it. When she got to the apex of Regina's thighs, she lightly kissed the damp material, right over Regina's center.

"Don't be a tease," the woman gasped out, making Emma smile.

"I'm not," she replied, pressing another soft kiss there. "But I can if you want me to."

"Don't," she warns in a throaty growl.

Emma laughs at that and pulls away, tugging down the panties, Regina rising up a bit to help. And now, without them in the way, Regina is fully exposed for Emma to see. Her mouth floods with saliva while her dick twitches in appreciation of the sight before her.

Without another second she dives right in, starting up a slow tortuous pace. She licks up and down the slit, gathering and spreading as much moisture as she can before she dips her tongue in and begins to flick it back and forth.

Regina begins to shake above her and one hands falls into Emma's hair, raking nails through it. Soft moans fall from her lips, only growing in intensity as Emma speeds up, building up pressure. Two fingers join in to help and they caress silky inner walls, walls that clench tightly.

"I'm close," Regina warns and Emma takes the time to look up to see Regina's head thrown back, chest heaving with barely restrained motions. It's a beautiful sight and she wants to commit it to memory.

Regina cums not seconds later, the sound she releases enough to make Emma nearly burst. Fuck. It's so hot. Especially the way Regina's hips buck up a little bit and she bites down on her lip, hard. Emma slides back up, after cleaning up every last trace of Regina's release, before joining their lips into a heated kiss.

Regina's hands claw into Emma's naked shoulders. "Inside me," she commands between pants. "I need you inside me."

She pulls Emma up as she backs up more on the bed, Emma crawling over her, hovering over her, looking down at the beautiful woman spread below her.

"Do you have protection?" Emma asks, because she's careful about that. She doesn't know if she shoots blanks or not (she's insecure about visiting a gynecologist, okay. Like, what would they even do? Could they even test her? Technically she identified as a woman. Her genitals just didn't.)

"It'll be fine. I can't get pregnant," Regina hastily points out, tugging Emma closer to her. Emma was going to say something more but her mind blanks when the tip of her head hits along Regina's lower lips. Pleasure courses through her and she knows she needs to be inside Regina now or else.

She presses a hard kiss to Regina's lips and lines herself up with the woman's entrance before slowly pushing her way in. She needs time to adjust, it being a long time since she's been anywhere but in the own confines of her hand. And Regina's just so hot inside, so hot and right for her. She can feel the woman's walls clenching around her, trying to take all of her in.

Her arms come up to circle around Emma's shoulders as she breathes brokenly. "Are you going to move or what?" she challenges with a raised brow, ready for more and now.

"I don't know if I'm going to last," Emma groans out honestly as her lower belly tugs to give in. To explode in pleasure.

"Don't you dare. Or I'm kicking you out of this place buck naked," Regina threatens, nails breaking skin in warning, and it sends a thrill down Emma's back at the raw intensity behind those words. Emma nods her head. She needs to get her shit together. She begins to pump her hips, sliding in and out. Both of them are slick enough that there is enough friction between them.

Their hot breaths mingle as the heat between them rises. Emma's heart beats with love, confining her closer to this woman, burying her with emotions. All she knows is that after this night, things will never be the same between them.

Emma's hips pick up pace and she wants to bury herself so deep inside Regina that the woman will taste her, but she refrains, wanting to bring Regina to the crest with her. Already the woman isn't too far behind, hips bucking up, neck straining with her vocalizations.

"Faster," she commands and Emma does her biding, ramming in so fast and hard that the bed begins to shake and she's grunting in exertion. It's a brutal pace that neither of them can keep up for long.

"Fuck," Regina exclaims and that's what does Emma in. Hearing that swear word fall from such pristine lips. She cums hard, eyes rolling into the back of her head as she unloads months worth of feelings and repressed needs. Regina follows after her, quaking into a less intense second orgasm that melds into a third one when Emma keeps pumping her hips mindlessly, trying to get everything she has to offer inside of her, into Regina instead.

Emma collapses into Regina at the end, the both of them panting and sweaty and slightly shaking with exhilaration. Their hearts beat against each other and Regina's arms circle around Emma's waist, holding her with the intention of never letting go.

This was certainly something else and Emma feels at peace for the first time ever since this whole situation started almost ten months ago.

"We should probably talk about this," Emma mumbles out, ready to take a nap as she snuggles against Regina's collarbone. But maybe a shower first. She's all sticky.

"Talking seems like a good idea. We should probably do a lot more of it," Regina hums in agreement. "But not now."

Emma nods her head in total harmony and as their breaths slowly relax, they fall asleep like that, wrapped up around each other, connected closely.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I was going to add more after this, but I figured it was a good place to end the chapter.
> 
> Next time: More dinner plans? Emma and Regina get opposition? But do they give a fuck?


	9. Love(d) Caresses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter has some M-rated content so uh, don't read it in public I suppose.

When Emma wakes up that morning it is with a wide grin and pure bliss on her face. She hasn't felt this happy in a long time and it's nice, being able to bask in the after glow of good sex and of finally getting together with the woman she loves.

With the early morning light streaming in through the open windows, Emma has a chance to look around and take stock of Regina's room. It's modern, with minimalist furniture and bare walls painted in light purple colors. There's some tastefully placed fake flowers in a vase and lights that are in weird shapes and the sheets Emma's lying on are white with patterned diamonds.

The whole apartment seems so impersonal compared to Emma's clunky furniture and shelves cluttered with personal belongings back at her own place. Emma wonders if Regina spends any time here at all. A soft hum to her left makes her look over at the woman in question.

The woman is still fast asleep, with her hair going curly and body curled up on the pillow. Her lips are softly parted and they tempt Emma into kissing them but she holds herself back because she doesn't want to wake her up. She just lays there and smiles, looking on at Regina in adoration.

Eventually Regina wakes up, her eyes fluttering open and finding herself face to face with Emma. She immediately smiles and this time Emma kisses her before Regina can even say 'good morning'.

"Someone's eager," Regina chuckles in amusement, her voice rough with slumber. Emma pulls away only far enough so that their noses brush.

"You would be too, if such temptation lay right next to you," she said, raking a hand down Regina's cheek and cupping it softly.

Regina smiles almost shyly, biting the bottom of her lip. "We should talk. About us. About what we want."

"I told you what I want. I want you," Emma said, meaning every word. "I want walks on the beach with you. I want holding hands. I want kissing you. I want waking up to you each morning."

"So you want _us_ ," Regina clarified. "You want us to date?"

"Yes. I don't want this to be a one off thing."

"Emma," this time it was Regina who cupped her cheek. "That was never going to be a risk. I want to be with you. In fact," Regina leaned over to get her phone from the night stand. She unlocked the screen, typed something out, and then dropped it. "I just sent them a message about me quitting my escort job. So, no more distractions. No more me going on dates with others."

Emma smiled so wide it hurt her already sore cheeks. "Good. Then I want to take you on a date. A proper one."

"We'll have time for that," Regina said, voice going lower. "I just want to spend some time with you in bed, relaxing." A hand went through Emma's hair, stroking it, tangling in it possessively. "It's almost hard to believe that you're really here."

"Why?" Emma wrinkled up her nose. "Did you think I would say no to you?"

"I've been sending you hints and messages about how I feel about you, and let's say you...haven't been the brightest," she said with a curl of her lip in amusement.

"Oh," Emma flushed, feeling stupid. "To be fair, I'm dense. Very dense when it comes to those things. I don't have much experience in the romantic department given my less than stellar dating record."

"To be honest, I haven't had much luck in that department either," Regina admitted softly.

Emma's eyes bulged out. "No way. You're kidding. How would someone like you have such an issue?"

"My nickname on the dating website, Evil Queen, I got it for a good reason. I can be quite callous and cold to those I do not like. I also am high maintenance. I should warn you."

"I've already seen your Evil Queen side when you went up against Lily. I've seen it and survived so I think I'm not too scared of that."

"Hmm," Regina sounded, eyes lowering to look at Emma's lips and then her bare shoulders peaking out from under the soft covers. "Yes, but you haven't gotten to see the other reason they call me an Evil Queen."

Emma shuddered in anticipation, in the promise held in those words. "Bring your worst, your majesty," Emma challenged as Regina pressed closer to her, hand wrapping around her morning wood under the blankets and pumping her twice, making short burst of air fall from Emma's lips.

Regina just chuckled darkly before she pushed Emma onto her back and straddled her waist. The sheets slipped off of Regina, revealing her very beautiful form. Slightly tan skin, a collarbone that stood out nicely, breasts with nipples already going hard and a taunt stomach that Emma couldn't help but splay a hand against. She was already hard and ready to go, wanting to see Regina come undone above her.

No words needed to be exchanged. Their bodies were already adjusting to each other, to each others needs, and Regina lowered her head to kiss Emma's mouth with long, tongue filled kisses as Emma's hands came up to pinch at her breasts, rolling the stiff nipples between her fingers. Regina moaned happily at the touch. Her hand sought out Emma's dick and began to pump it slowly. Pre-cum leaked out in little spurts and Emma couldn't help but buck up her hips as the touches got rougher and longer.

Regina smirked against her lips at getting Emma so worked up so easily. "I'm going to ride you so hard you'll break," she promised and Emma let out a little whimper at the heated words. Regina leaned back and sat up a little so she could line Emma up with her.

Emma's hands rested on the brunette's hips, holding her steady and helping her down as she slid all the way onto her cock, taking it all in one go. Emma had to close her eyes to resist being overwhelmed by the sensation of being held in silky warmth. But she did not get much time to adjust because Regina was already rocking her hips, going fast and hard as she pushed down Emma's chest to make her rest against the mattress.

Emma's grip on Regina's hips turned to iron and she moved in time with her. Or at least tried to, but Regina wasn't having any of that. "Cut that out or you won't get to finish," she growled, wanting to have the control this time. It was like a switch had been flipped on and she was no where as pliant as she had been last night. The thought elated Emma and sent a shiver running down her back.

Emma relented with a whimper, the threat of not being able to come a very dangerous one given how quickly she was building up to a big orgasm. Their shared pants and moans combined in the air at the slick noises of them moving together. Sweat began to coat their bodies as the air around them heated up. Emma's hips began to ache from the grueling pace and she could feel Regina's walls fluttering around her, signaling that she was going to cum soon. Emma couldn't help but speed up her thrusts then, wanting to help Regina achieve that edge she needed.

The woman came, throwing her head back a second later, clenching around Emma and coming to a halt as sticky wetness seeped out of her. She sucked in gasps of air to steady herself once more and then, recovered, she smiled down at Emma, an evilly wicked little thing. "You're going to keep me cumming, but you're not allowed to cum yourself until I'm satisfied, am I clear?" she demanded, eyes glowing darkly.

Emma didn't think she would be able to do that, for she was a couple more thrusts away from coming herself, but she wanted nothing more than to make Regina happy. She nodded her head in answer and seeing that, Regina began to renew her process of riding Emma. When she saw Emma starting to buck up harder and her breaths getting heavier, she stopped, preventing Emma from reaching that peak.

"Fuck," Emma screamed in frustration.

"I don't think so," Regina chuckled darkly and waited for Emma to calm down before she began riding her again. And this pattern continued for a while, Regina managing to come two more times while she left Emma dangling on the edge. The blonde couldn't take it anymore. "You're going to break me," she whined, hips aching with each thrust, and cock throbbing with need to empty itself.

"Didn't I say I was going to?" Regina said deviously, before relenting a bit since this was all new for Emma. "I suppose I could go easier on you. You can come this time." She let Emma switch their positions, Emma laying Regina flat onto the bed and hovering over her, all without pulling her dick out or stopping in her hip motions. She thrust into her, aching to find relief and Regina let her, wrapping her legs behind her back and tugging her in closer.

Tight walls clenched on her hard and Regina scratched nails down her back, pulling her in closer before Emma finally came in two giant spurts. To finally be able to do so felt like an achievement in life, ridiculous as it sounded, due to all of Regina's earlier teasing. She collapsed on top of Regina and relished in the feel of being inside her, of being with her, as Regina's nails marked a pattern lazily down her back that raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Shower?" Regina suggested.

"A shower sounds great," Emma answered, but not making any attempts to get up. She felt so nice and safe held in Regina, wrapped up around her, face buried in her neck.

They lay like that for about an hour before Emma's stomach growls and it reminds them they have not eaten anything yet. "Alright. We really must shower and get something to eat. You sound starved."

"And I wonder whose fault that is," Emma huffs as she pulls out and gets up. "Where's the spare bathroom around here? And do you have any extra towels?"

"Don't be silly. We're showering together. It saves water," she said casually, walking out naked to a door down the hall. Emma followed after her, watching the enticing sway of her hips. She didn't want to presume (but she was really hoping she and Regina would get to touch each other more in the shower. Maybe even get a repeat performance, despite Emma still aching) but oh hell it wouldn't hurt to hope a little.

And Emma wasn't wrong to hope this time. Regina was standing fully naked under the hot shower head, letting the water run down the valley of her breasts, down the planes of her stomach, and the supple nature of her thighs. "Are you going to help me clean up the mess you made or not?" she asked enticingly and Emma didn't have to be asked twice, already growing hard again. She entered into the hot shower, standing behind Regina and pressing a soft kiss to the back of her neck as her hands wrapped around her front protectively.

Regina let Emma place hot open mouthed kisses against her skin, even craning her neck back to allow more, before pulling up Emma's hands to her breasts. Emma needn't further prompting, tugging and pinching them to draw out soft grunts of appreciation from Regina that were almost drowned out by the steady pounding of the water.

When Regina got too impatient and worked up, she turned in Emma's arms, claiming her lips in a hot bruising kiss and this time directing the blonde's hands between her legs. Emma cupped her mound, finding it hot and wet, and it wasn't from the shower water. She thread fingers through the curls there, teasing the folds before she got down on her knees and spread Regina's thighs apart. Regina gripped the wall and hefted one leg around Emma's shoulder as Emma's tongue parted her nether lips and began to stroke up and down with broad licks, nipping and sucking and taking her time to properly and slowly build her up into an orgasm.

Regina's cries echoed around the shower walls as she shook, her hips grinding into Emma's mouth and Emma continued licking until Regina fell into a shorter second orgasm that nearly had her buckling against the wall if Emma hadn't caught her.

Emma moved up Regina's body, licking up the water droplets there before Regina tugged her face to hers and planted a full mouthed kiss on her to show her appreciation for a job well done.

This tightly pressed, Emma's hard cock was trapped between their bodies, begging for attention. "Seems like I didn't break you after all if you're this hard," she said, slipping a hand in between their wet bodies and stroking Emma up and down so that self lubricant slipped free from her tip. Emma let out a groan, half happy, half in dread. She couldn't stand any more rough treatment, but at the same time she wanted everything Regina could offer her.

Regina reaches blindly behind her and turns off the shower. "Not here, however. We need sturdy surfaces," she breathes out, and she steps out of the tub, grabbing a fluffy towel for her and for Emma. Drying off on the way, Emma eagerly follows Regina back to the bed.

And what they do there is certainly more creative and exhausting yet erotic than anything Emma has ever done before.

Regina really does live up to her Evil Queen namesake.

* * *

Finally, after an interesting and busy morning, Emma and Regina had breakfast. Regina cooked up an omelet while Emma brewed coffee and sliced up fruits. Something sat on Emma's mind that she needed to ask Regina, and though she had seen every inch of the woman's skin today, she still felt a bit shy asking this. "You, uh, mentioned you couldn't get pregnant," she said tentatively. She couldn't look Regina in the eye as she asked this.

"I can't," Regina filled in as she stirred the eggs, "because I have a hostile womb." Her voice was even so it was hard to tell if she was truly upset about this or not. "I found out when I was young and trying to start a family with my lover."

"I'm sorry," Emma felt bad for asking. "I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's fine. I was the one who brought it up in the first place," Regina smiled softly, catching Emma's eye to show her she was okay. "I accepted the fact, besides it's not like I had anyone after that to even want to start a family with them."

"And there's always adoption," Emma consoled. She didn't know what else to contribute to this topic so she didn't. They sat down to have breakfast after which they cleaned up the dishes and decided they should watch a movie. They decided on some cheap action thriller, which Regina rolls her eyes on but indulges Emma because Emma loves this kind of trash. Emma is however, unable to fully concentrate because of Regina's phone. Regina too is troubled by it, pulling it up and unlocking the screen.

"What's wrong?" Emma asks when she sees Regina frowning at her phone which has been going off with text messages for the past three hours for which they had been too busy to check (not that Emma was complaining on busy she had been. Though her neck is riddled with her 'busy' nature).

She sighs and shakes her head. "It's nothing," she assures, locking her phone with a click and dropping it so she can come over and cuddle up to Emma on the couch. "Just some annoying idiots from work."

"Okay." Emma doesn't push because she wants to give Regina space and not come off as a nosy or clingy girlfriend (OMG, they're girlfriends. Emma is so happy. She runs the words hundreds of times through her mind, each time making her happier and happier until she feels like breaking out into song and dance). She should really plan something amazing for their first date. But what would Regina like? She doesn't want to take her new girlfriend to some place trashy or low brow. Maybe something educational? Would Regina like plays?

Emma doesn't know and she'll have to figure something out soon. Regina snuggles up to Emma on the couch, laying her head on her shoulder and twining their hands together. They don't get to stay like that for too long before the doorbell rings.

They both let out a groan in unison. "Seriously whose ringing your house at this hour?" Emma asks, though it's only four and a completely reasonable time for someone to be at the door.

"I don't know. Maybe they'll go away if we ignore them long enough," Regina suggests, and they try to do just that. The door rings and rings and it's interrupting their movie time. They can't hear the words being said. And whoever it is at the door is not going away anytime soon. Regina's lips thin and she stares defiantly at the screen.

"Regina. Do you know the person at the door," Emma asks because she has a feeling Regina knows exactly who it is at the door.

When the woman doesn't say anything, her phone ends up starting to ring as well. She sighs and lets out a deep groan of unhappiness. "I couldn't have one weekend. One single weekend without her pestering presence." She complains to herself. She gets up with slow and heavy motions and trudges to the door. Emma is curious and trails behind her but keeps a distance.

"Honestly, what the hell took you so long to answer the door?" is the first thing Emma hears from their guest as she brushes past Regina impatiently, nose wrinkling. "It smells like a harlots house in here," the older woman declares. And Regina blushes as she shuts the door, for once not a snappy comeback on her lips.

The older woman's eyes land on Emma who has awkwardly walked up to them. Her eyes narrow and her frown intensifies. "Ah," is the enlightened sound she makes and it is enough to tell Emma that this woman has figured everything out, especially the private activities they were doing this morning. She flushes red too.

"Regina, who is this half bred woman standing in your apartment?" the woman asks, turning around and pretending like Emma is no longer in the room. And Emma is flushing red, but out of anger this time. Her mouth flaps open and shut while Regina similarly looks at a loss of words but for another reason. "Well?"

"She's uh, Emma. She works as a dentist," Regina manages out, meekly.

"She surprisingly has a respectable job. Now, kick her out. You and I have important matters to attend to. Such as now that you are done with this whole escort business, we must talk husbands for you."

"Mother, I'm not going to kick her out," Regina says, clasping her hands in front of her. "She has a right to be here, while you talk to me." Her voice is even but it wavers a little at the end.

That woman is Regina's mother? Emma takes a moment to look over the other woman. She's got dark hair, though not as dark as Regina, and her eyes are the same shape and color and so are her lips, though they seem cruel instead of kind like Regina's.

And Regina seems afraid of her, to a certain extent? Like her body language is small and her neck is slightly bowed to her mother and her hands are fidgeting. Why does her mother scare her? Emma decides she needs to step up and protect Regina like Regina has done so many times for Emma. She slides up to Regina and wraps an arm around her waist. Immediately she can feel Regina's spine straightening. Getting stronger. "That's right. I'm her girlfriend." Emma juts out her chin, and waits in heavy silence.

The woman laughs, "please, at least pick a more acceptable excuse than this woman here, Regina. And beside, your taste in woman is just a phase." Cora shook her head and ventured deeper into the apartment.

Emma exchanged a look with Regina whose shoulders had slumped back down. "That's my mother," she bitterly got out. "And she doesn't think I'm gay at all, despite it being so obvious. She won't accept the fact."

"Then we'll have to prove to her that you are gay," Emma determined. They followed after Cora to where she was in the kitchen, helping herself to opening up a wine bottle. "What did I tell you about kicking the blonde woman out," she tsked, only pouring two glasses.

"I have a name. And it's Emma. Your daughter's been screaming it out all morning long; I'm surprised you didn't hear it from all the way up on your high horse," Emma grit out, because she was pulsating with anger. She didn't want anyone hurting Regina. Not if she could stop it.

Cora gasped, cheeks turning red. "The audacity to speak to me in such tones! Regina, stop paying woman to act like your girlfriend. It's honestly below you."

"Emma is not paid. She is my girlfriend because she likes me. And I was the one who was an escort, remember?" Regina said tiredly, letting Emma keep her close to her side. "Something I did to prove to you I was extremely gay."

"Clearly that's not something you are if you quit." How could a woman be this obtuse? This...blatantly ignorant? And how had she already heard that Regina quit? "Mal was very upset. I cannot fathom why since you were never on her team."

Emma could hear Regina grinding her teeth in anger, though she had paled a bit on hearing Mal coming from her mother's lips. "Mother, I quit because I am dating Emma and I no longer want work to get in the way of my relationship."

Cora stopped here, glass in her hand, swirling the wine in her mouth before swallowing it down with a hint of displeasure. "Your relationship won't last," she said cruelly and it hit Emma right in her insecurities. She was the one who wilted and now Regina grew tall. "I will prove you wrong. We are going to last because we are serious."

Cora shook her head sadly. "You are too old to be playing games like these. I can see that you still aren't ready to be serious enough to settle down with a man. But you are running out of time. Soon you'll be too old to start a proper family." She grabbed her purse from where she had laid it down and stormed off. "I expect you to come to the dinner we are having with the Locksley family. They have a charming son named Robin. He too hasn't had anyone in his life after losing his first wife, but I'm sure the two of you would have a lot to talk about."

And with that she slammed the door shut behind her, leaving Regina and Emma in uncomfortable tension.

Emma decided to go forward and help herself to the untouched other glass of wine. She choked it down in one go. "Your mother is something else," Emma said lowly, twirling the stem of the wine glass in thought. No wonder Regina picked up that escort job. Emma would too if her mother just chose to disbelieve that her daughter was gay.

"I know," Regina exhaled through her nose in exhaustion. "And she won't take a no for me coming over to dinner. But that doesn't mean I'll be coming alone. You're going with me. That way even if mother won't accept it, Robin will have to see I am gay."

"Oh, yay, another awkward dinner party," Emma exclaimed sarcastically. And then poured herself another glass of wine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Robin is introduced? Emma and Regina go to dinner? Emma puts Cora in her place? And who is Mal and what does she have to do with this story?


	10. You've Got Ma(i)l

"We're going to need to come into my mother's dinner party well armed," Regina said, getting down to business. She had pulled Emma to the side as soon as her mother left and spread out some files in front of them on a small table. "You're going to need to know everything about me, and I will need to know everything about you."

"Will that really be needed?" Emma asked, scratching her head and feeling overwhelmed by all this. "She doesn't even believe we're a couple so I doubt she'll ask about us."

"Knowing my mother, she's already put out a private detective to look up background information on you. And she's going to grill you hard. That way if you fail her expectations than she can declare you too incompetent to date me and thus force me to be with some man." Regina shivered. "I've met Robin before at some family functions and he is decidedly too handsy for a man who claimed to love his first wife so much as to still be actively mourning her."

A surge of protectiveness and jealousy arose in Emma. "Is that going to be an issue at the dinner? Is he going to try and touch you?" She could imagine a smarmy faced git leering at Regina and reaching with his hairy hands to touch her on the small of the back, before his hand began a slow descent down- and Emma's hands balled up into fists. If he tried, he would be dealing with her. She may not know how to fight but she sure as hell would in that moment.

Regina smiled. "That's sweet," she said, comforting Emma by placing a hand on hers and stroking it to relax it from the fist it had become. "But I can handle him. I took a couple years of boxing when I was younger."

Regina, boxing? Now that was an appealing idea. Emma wouldn't mind getting knocked out by her as long as she could see Regina in boxing shorts and a sports bra and looking fierce as fuck with sweat dripping down her-

Regina ran a thumb under Emma's lip. "You're drooling," she explained and Emma closed her mouth, flushing red. "Sorry," she squeaked out.

"No, don't be. I want to know what has you drooling like that and gaping at me like a snack." Regina leaned in, eye flicking from Emma's eyes to her lips.

"You," Emma blurted out. "Boxing."

Regina looked immensely pleased to hear that. "Maybe one day I'll take you to the gym with me and show you some boxing moves."

"Please do," Emma said as Regina pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"But first, we knock the socks off my mother, so to speak." Regina slid the papers to Emma before getting up, tapping on them in reminder. "Start studying; we only have a month's time to get everything together. I'll make us dinner."

Emma was glad to hear that the dinner event was going to be at the end of next month. That gave her enough time to study everything up on Regina, and to be able to know her hands on as well ( _lots_  of hands on stuff, if you catch her drift). And Emma loved getting to know more about the brunette. Like where she went to school. What colors she adored, and even why she got that scar on her upper lip. Though to be fair, Emma sort of got lost and distracted there. Thinking about Regina's lip scar got her thinking about her lips and then about kissing those lips, and about other places where those lips would be very welcome, and whoops there went Emma's concentration.

Luckily it was time for dinner, a quick pasta meal Regina had whipped up for them. It was good. In fact, anything Regina cooked was good. But like with breakfast, Emma noticed Regina's portion was substantially smaller than her own. This didn't sit right with her but she didn't comment on it, not for now.

"Are you going to stay the night?" Regina asked once their meal had passed and they were cleaning the dishes.

"Uh, you want me to?" Emma was genuinely caught of guard by this. She knew the day had come to an end, and she knew they had already spent the majority of it together despite Emma having expected to be kicked out right after sex. It had been a pleasant surprise to be able to stay, actually.

"Of course," Regina said, "I have spare sleeping clothes unless you'd much rather sleep in the nude again?" she gave a cheeky smile.

Emma flushed. She couldn't be sure if Regina was serious about that or if she was just playing around. "I'll stay over. I don't mind sleeping with you. Though I am warning you, I will little spoon you."

"You're a little spoon?" Regina asked. "I thought you were the big spoon in bed?"

"Sometimes I need a nice strong boxer to keep me safe in their nice strong arms," she teased as she rinsed off the last dish.

"This 'boxer' will have you know she hasn't been a boxer in a while but she will still cuddle you in her arms," Regina answered.

Dinner all cleared and with nothing much else to do, they retired for bed, Emma taking the clothes Regina offered her. They were an oversized shirt and some sweatpants.

"I don't think any of my pjs will fit you. Your body is taller. Unless you don't mind wearing booty shorts to bed?" Regina held out a similar pair of shorts that looked respectable on her but would ride up too much on Emma.

"No, I'm fine. I'll stick with the sweats," she said. They slid under the covers, turning out the lights on the way.

Emma loved the way the sheets smelled like Regina's perfume. It comforted her.

Regina wrapped herself around Emma's back, warm arms circling her waist as Emma pulled the covers up. Their legs tangled together and Regina tucked her face into Emma's neck. "I feel ridiculous," she said after only a minute of this. "I'm too short to be a big spoon."

"You're only like three inches shorter."

"Which for big spoon qualifications is an absolutely devastating fact. So much so that it disqualifies me from being one," Regina murmured sleepily into Emma's neck. Her minty breath breezed over Emma's ear, making her shiver.

"But your strong arms make up for it. And so does your body heat."

"Why don't you want to be the big spoon?"

"I like being held. It's more comforting that way. Beside, it can get kind of awkward sometimes with my morning wood. I don't want to be poking you while you sleep." In the dark it was a bit easier to admit to that.

"You are ridiculous," Regina huffed, only drawing nearer to Emma.

After that there was no more conversation, only sleeping peacefully.

* * *

This time they woke up together, smiling just awakening smiles as they kissed each other in good morning.

"Did you sleep well?" Regina asked.

"In your arms, yes," Emma answered honestly. She could sleep an eternity in Regina's hold if Regina would let her.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Regina asked, though there was a mischievous glint to her eyes. "I know what a specific part of your body has in mind, but what do you want to do after?" Regina's leg brushed against Emma's morning wood.

Emma blushed at that, hoping Regina hadn't noticed. "I don't mind doing nothing with you," Emma says as Regina's hand plays with her hair, tiptoing down her neck to her shoulders to her arms as Emma's do the same with Regina, stroking her hair back from her face.

Eventually, the light touches become more greedy, and the light mood they bathed in becomes heavier as their breathing shifts and their hearts quicken.

They've been spending a lot of time this weekend getting to know each other's bodies in an intimate and loving manner. Learning what they like, what they hate. Regina in particular is weak to being kissed behind her ears. She flushes and pushes at Emma's chest when her knees give out a bit. But her soft protests of stop aren't meant when she bares her neck to Emma and lets her softly continue kissing there. Emma rolls on top of Regina, kissing her soundly on her full lips as Regina's arms come to wrap around her neck, holding her there, enjoying the feel of her body on top of hers. One thing leads to another and those kisses sear a path down to Regina's naked thighs, where Emma laps at her need eagerly with long strong tongue flicks. Regina's strong grip in Emma's blonde tresses encourage her and Emma keeps going until Regina is writhing above her, stomach muscles quivering as she begins to cum, Emma's name falling from her lips in little bursts.

Emma sits up afterwards, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, and Regina turns onto her stomach. The message is clear; they've attuned to their bodies increasingly well, so that it is easier for them to read what the other wants in bed.

Emma takes a moment to appreciate Regina's glorious ass, running her hands over the smooth cheeks. "Are you going to get on with it, Emma?" Regina asked, looking over her shoulder as she got to her knees, keeping her upper hair pinned to the sheets.

"I just want to appreciate every inch of you," Emma said, lightly rubbing her cock against Regina's nether lips as her hands slowly crawled to their place on the woman's hips.

"And I appreciate that, but I would appreciate it more if you showed me by fucking me hard," she said in a low growl and Emma felt her whole body clench in anticipation of doing just that. She stopped her teasing and slid fully in, letting Regina take time to adjust to her before setting up a rhythm for the two of them to rock to. The air is filled with sounds of slick noises and their gasped breaths as they exert themselves to get closer and closer to pleasure.

Emma's thrusting hard, hands gripping Regina's hips in place as the brunette moans into the pillows. "Harder," she prompts. "I'm so close."

Emma's close too, her cock throbbing with the need to empty itself inside silky walls, but she holds on, wanting to tip Regina over the edge first and so she gives it her all. Pulling out all the way before slamming back in. The bed creaks with their motions, Regina's hands fisting the sheets before a shudder goes through her and she's coming, dripping down her legs, thighs shaking, as Emma follows after her, pouring into her with a low groan of ecstasy. They stay upright for a couple seconds more as Emma finishes, her large load of cum filling Regina fully before they collapse onto the mattress, breathing hard. Emma gently rolls them onto the side, removing herself from inside Regina.

Emma kisses up and down Regina's shoulder in a post haze, one arm around her waist. "I think we need a shower after this," Regina states. And it's not lost on Emma that they will certainly be doing other things than just showering there.

"In a second, I just want to lie next to you," Emma says softly. She feels so full of love for Regina, so warm and afloat on feelings for her, and she wants to indulge in the light feeling it gives her. And Regina lets her, until the air gets too cool for their naked bodies and they are shivering with need for warm water to heat them up. Though Regina makes it clear there are other ways to get warm enough in the shower.

It doesn't take long for her teasing touches under the steady stream to turn Emma on again, and it shows with how rock hard Emma is.

She lifts Regina up in her arms and pushes her against the driest of the shower walls. The brunette wraps her legs around her, holding on for dear life as Emma wastes no time sliding into wetness waiting eagerly for her. It seems the shower and the bed are quickly becoming their go to spots, not that Emma minds at all.

Regina's walls close in hungrily on Emma's cock as she slowly slides in and out, building up a steady pace that apparently takes too long. "Quickly," Regina hisses, nails digging into Emma's skin.

Emma agrees, because already she can feel a burn in her arms and the floor is slippery under her naked feet. Her hips thrust harder, the head of her cock hitting that rough patch inside Regina which makes her moan loudly. The shower sprays onto Emma's back, making it hard to grip, so Regina's hands lose their hold a couple of times. As they fuck, their lips tangle together in a sordid kiss, lips nipping and biting on swollen mouths. Emma lowers her mouth to kiss behind Regina's ear on her weak point and the woman shudders on her cock, muscles coiling as her eyes drop closed.

She comes not too long after, screaming Emma's name as she goes loose. Emma slowly lowers her to the tiled floor, so that Regina can regain her breath, trembling with the aftershocks of pleasure. Emma has to pull out of her, cock wet with Regina's pleasures and her own pre-cum, beads of it welling out and dribbling down. Regina turns around wordlessly and bends over, spreading her legs for Emma.

Emma moves in with no hesitation, lining up and slipping in with one go. She sets up a grueling pace, hips churning to meet Regina's bucking ones. Emma has to place one hand on her back to keep her in place or else she'll slip out of Regina and she can't bare that now, not when she is so close. Her eyes are fluttering in pleasure and she can't resist reaching down to pinch one of Regina's nipples with her free hand, rolling it in her fingers to draw a gasp out of her.

Three more quick thrusts and Emma is spilling inside with a happy little whisper of "fuck yes", cock twitching with her thick, generous spurts. She keeps moving her hips as she comes, splaying a hand across Regina's lower stomach, able to feel the way Regina's muscles jump with each spurt inside of her.

"Oh my god," Regina gasps out against the tiled wall, her body quivering with the hot and heavy sensation of being filled, sending her into a sympathy orgasm that milks Emma for everything she is worth, pulsating walls tugging on Emma's cock hard and dragging one last burst of cum from her.

"Sorry," Emma pants in apology during her lust haze, because she has no control over this. One hand comes up to steady her against the wall, other keeping Regina up whose legs have gone soft.

When the world returns to them, Emma realizes the water is now running cold and that they should probably get out of the shower. "Are you okay?" Emma asks, not expecting to have let loose so much. She hadn't cum this much and this hard in a while and she felt so drained by it that she could go right back to bed.

"I'm fine," Regina said, sliding off of Emma's now limp cock. Their mixed juices ran down her thighs but she didn't seem to register it much as she pulled Emma into a soft kiss, a barely there brushing of the lips. "It was amazing feeling that much of you inside me," she assured in a silken voice that made Emma blush yet proud of what she had done. "Now, if you don't mind, I have some cleaning up to do," Regina gestured to her thighs and blushing again, Emma got out of the shower, grabbing a towel on the way to dry off.

* * *

Things have been moving steadily for them for a while now. Emma comes over almost every night to Regina's apartment for dinner and a quick make out session, sometimes hot and heavy sex, before she heads home, wishing Regina could come with her. Her bed feels lonely and her apartment doesn't feel like home, when Regina lives half a city away.

Sometimes they end up having to cut their weekend dinners short because of Cora's annoying tendency to drop by to irritate her daughter. Cora keeps forgetting who Emma is each time (Emma feels like Cora does that on purpose to annoy her), and is shocked each time Emma shows up, as if truly not expecting Regina to keep having Emma around.

"You are spending an unnecessary fortune to have this woman around," Cora had sniffed because she still hadn't dropped the vapid notion that Emma was being rented out for this (which was kinda of ironic because Emma had been the one fake dating Regina at first and paying for her services, but Cora didn't need to know that).

And all Emma can do is smile tightly and stab the woman mentally over and over again until her anger fades.

But one night Regina has an unexpected visitor, that in a way might be even worse than her mother.

Emma's about to open the door to Regina's apartment when she hears it. Raised voices. Angry, voices. Regina's and some other woman's.

"Mal, I already told you, I don't do that sort of work anymore."

"And I refuse to believe that. You are not quitting your escorting job and that is final."

"I quit already, and  _that's_  what's final. And you can't refuse to believe me when what I say is true! You need to stop texting me and harassing me because I'm not coming back!" Regina sounded at her wits end.

This could not be good. Emma scrambled to get her key card out to swipe Regina's door open.

"What you did was fucked up," spat the other woman. "I had you rented out for a very important event and you completely fucked me over when you canceled on me!"

"And that warrants finding where I live and coming to harass me over it?" Regina huffs, putting her hands on hips.

That's when Emma comes in, her heart pounding and blood rushing through her veins with the adrenaline needed to protect Regina. She finds Regina behind the kitchen island, using it as a barrier from the pissed off woman in front of her. The woman in question has blonde hair and is a bit older, given the wrinkles under her eyes. "What is going on here?" Emma asserts, holding her back out and puffing her chest to seem more intimidating.

Mal turns around, displeased, while Regina sags with relief at the sight of Emma.

"Oh, I see. You've gotten yourself a young puppy and that's why you quit," Mal drawls nastily before snorting and walking out, her heels stabbing into the ground. She paused by Emma, glaring down at her, assessing her life story in seconds.

"Just remember Regina, puppy love doesn't last forever and when it ends you'll be crawling back to your job and to me just so you can feel anything." She tossed over her shoulder and then walked out, slamming the door shut behind her so hard the picture on Regina's wall shook and fell down.

Emma let out a harsh breath she didn't know she was holding in. "What was all that about?" she asked, letting her bag drop to the floor as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Regina shook her head. "Just...a disgruntled ex customer," she waved it off, moving to her wine cabinet to pour herself a drink.

"No, you are not doing that, Regina. You are telling me the truth. You are telling me everything. I need to know what is going on, because from what I just heard, this woman has been harassing you for days and she broke into your apartment. That's not okay!" Emma exclaimed loudly, still worked up and smarting over the puppy love comment. She was insecure about people loving her and one of her fears would be that Regina would wake up one day and stop loving her. Emma wouldn't be able to take such heartbreak after just getting into a new relationship.

"No, it's not okay," Regina said humorlessly as she hummed into her glass of red wine. She chugged it down in one go and set the glass down harshly on the counter.

"Regina, what is going on? What can I do to help?" Emma asked softly, trying a different approach. She settled behind Regina, hugging her from around the back, arms circling her waist. Regina sunk into the hug and let out a grateful breath for the touch.

"When I quit my job I knew there would be some unhappy people, especially given the short notice on how I did it, but this...this is something else."

"You need to report this to the company."

"I did. They can't do anything about her because I no longer work for them."

"Then the police. Report her. Report the forced entry."

"Honestly, the police probably won't do shit. Mal is a pretty powerful woman. I didn't think she would take me leaving quite so harshly. I warned her and explained to her my reasoning why and yet she still..." Regina sighed and shook her head.

"So reasoning with her is off the table then. What can we do?"

"I don't know. I'll keep trying to talk to her and figure something out. But she...she doesn't seem like the type to relent." Regina pulled away from Emma's safe form and walked over a bit to look out the window, biting her lower lip in worry.

"And what does she want?"

"She wants me. But she can't have me, because I want you and not her."

"So, she's in love with you and she's hurting after you broke things off with her. After you pretty much dumped her for me. Is that right?" Emma asked, rubbing the back of her neck. Talk about bad luck with exes. First Emma and now Regina, though technically, Regina hadn't really dated Mal.

"It's not me I'm worried about," Regina admitted. "She won't do anything drastic. It's you I'm worried about."

"You think she's going to come after me?" Emma asked, shocked by this. What the hell was wrong with this Mal woman?

"Yes. I think so. And I think the best thing to do is to have some distance."

Emma felt her heart crack a bit. "Oh." She managed to make out of a mouth too dry, not expecting this turn of events. "You don't want me around."

Regina swiveled on her heel when she heard the hurt in Emma's voice. "I do want you around, but...until I get things sorted with Mal, stay out of the way. And it's not for my sake. But for yours. I'm protecting you, Emma."

Emma nodded her head, swallowing down this bitter knowledge. Getting pushed to the side (great, really. Totally what she wanted. Not!) hurt though she knew there was a serious reason behind it. "Promise to keep me informed?" But she didn't want to come off as too clingy to Regina. She wanted to give her the space she asked for. She had to trust her. It's not like Regina would cheat on her with Mal.

Damn it, now she couldn't stop thinking about that, even though she knew that Regina wouldn't. Mal was just her client and nothing more. She didn't care for her. No, it was Mal Emma didn't trust. What if she pressured Regina into doing something she didn't want to? That made Emma's blood boil. If Mal so much as looked at Regina wrong...Emma would...she didn't know what she would do, but she'd fuck Mal up, that's for sure.

"I will. And this will be over before you know it. Mal is just overreacting. I'll fix things and then we can snuggle up to each other on the couch before you know it." Regina could see Emma's unhappiness with it and the woman rubbed up and down Emma's arms in a soothing motion before leaning in and pecking her softly on the lips. "Don't worry."

"How can I not. The woman sounds crazy."

"I've handled her before. She's just a bit hot and cold is all." But Regina's forced smile did not make Emma feel better.

* * *

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Emma asks. Mulan is over at her place, for a shared movie night. They've ordered Chinese food take out though Mulan is the only one really eating it because Emma's too worried over the situation with Regina and Mal to really eat or watch the movie.

"Sure," Mulan says, paying only half a mind as something blows up on screen.

"What would you do if you had a crazy ex?"

"Is this about Lily, cuz I thought you were over her. Is she still harassing you?" Mulan asks in monotone and not looking away from the screen.

Emma shakes her head. "No. She stopped. It's about...uh a frie-"

"Regina?"

Emma chokes on her words, coughing a little and shaking her head. "Yea, sure," she gives up trying to keep this secretive. "She has a...crazy ex that is trying to come into her life and that is upset by me being there. And Regina told me to give her space while she deals with her but...I don't know I just don't trust Mal. I don't think the peaceful approach is going to work out and I think I should be there with Regina."

"Then tell her you want to be there."

"She made it clear she doesn't need me there."

"Then give her the space she asked for and if she needs your help then you should jump in, show that she can rely on you. But if you push her on this sensitive matter than it could not end well," Mulan said, finally looking away from the screen to blink supportively at Emma.

"I know," Emma said solemnly. Because she was afraid of losing Regina. Not when it had been so hard to get her in the first place. She swallows down a bitter gulp of her beer and finally turns to watch the movie.

 _Stupid Mal, ruining everything when it was just getting good,_ she grumbles to herself bitterly.

* * *

Emma keeps her word and gives Regina space. She doesn't drop by the apartment and she only texts her asking how she is. Each day she gets the same response.  **Okay.**

And that's it. Emma can't shake the feeling of dread hanging over her and it's all she can do to stop from calling Regina and demanding to know to the last detail what is going on. By the time Friday arrives she has to consciously stop herself from reaching to her phone and pushing the call button. She ends up getting an unwelcome distraction when someone new walks in through the door.

"Miss Swan, I believe I have an appointment with you today," an all too familiar voice says and Emma gulps when she sees Mal standing there, smiling serenely, in her eyes a sharp gleam that belies her true nature.

Regina's warning runs in her head.  _It's not me I'm worried about. She won't do anything drastic. It's you I'm worried about._

This crazy woman has found who Emma is and tracked her down and is now here for who knows what reason. "Uh, hello," she stammers out, pretending like she's never seen this woman before. Maybe that will work.

But it doesn't, because the woman strides past her like she owns the place and Emma follows after her, uncertain. Mal doesn't sit on the chair, merely stands in the middle of the room, coolly appraising Emma. Emma closed the door behind them and tries to act normal. "Please, take a seat. What happens to be the issue?"

"Oh, just a standard check up," she drawls, her red painted lips curling up nastily and when she refers to check up, she means checking up on Emma. "Though there is this one small issue that is giving me a bit of a toothache."

"And what is it?" Emma asks, knowing what Mal is getting at but wanting to hear it from her own mouth.

"You see, this issue wasn't here a few weeks ago, but now it's started to infect the rest of my life-"

And Emma can't bare to continue listening to this blathering anymore. "Look, I don't know what rocks your boat, but seriously, stay away from me and Regina. I have half a mind to turn you in to the police, because not only have you forced entry into her apartment, now you are threatening me at my own job. And I'm not going to take your shit."

Mal seems impressed by the out burst. She takes a step closer, her heels clicking. She levels Emma with her gaze.

"I am not threatened by you. You are the one throwing out calling the police because you don't know how to handle things on your own like a mature woman-"

"And how is that? Like you do, by harassing people?" Emma arched a brow even as her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest.

"I just came to tell you this, that you are not worthy of having Regina. She is too good for you. She isn't even in your social class. And she'll get bored of you sooner rather than later and you'll come crawling back to her, tail between your legs, but she'll only laugh and look down on you." Those words hit Emma hard. Her old insecurities rise up and threaten to wash over her until she can't breath. Her lungs tighten and she swallows harshly, leaning back into the wall as Mal leans in, nostrils flaring as she goes in for the kill. "Regina is only entertaining herself for now. You are nothing to her but a distraction. She will come to her senses and go back to being an escort. So, before you get your heart broken, give her up. You can't handle her like I can, anyways."

Emma is breathing hard, hurt. "You can't force her to be with you," she weakly gets out and Mal smirks. "I won't have to." She is so confident in that, that Emma begins to worry, what exactly was Regina's past with this woman.

Mal strides out, leaving a shaken Emma behind.

* * *

Emma wallowed in misery for about a day before she pulled herself free from her self pity. Like hell she was going to let some salty old woman ridicule her into feeling like shit. Emma was better than this, and she deserved to be in a relationship with a woman she loved. She wouldn't let Mal push her down, and she wouldn't let Mal push Regina down either.

She was done waiting on Regina to fix things. She was going to go and help her with this issue because they were a couple and they did things together.

She snatched her jacket up from the floor and pulled it on, making way over to Regina's apartment. She didn't swipe in, not wanting to just walk in unannounced. So she knocked, waiting on Regina to open the door. When the brunette saw it was only Emma on her end, she let out a relieved sigh. "I feared it was mother or Mal again," she admitted, letting Emma in. "What's going on? You look angry."

"As I should be, Mal came into my work place and started talking shit to me. About how I should leave you and stuff like that. It upset me a lot. And then I imagined that she must be saying useless shit to you like this too, and I came to see you, because I think being separated right now isn't a good thing. Regina, your problem is my problem too. Let's work on it together."

"I'm sorry to hear she came after you. Even though we had that distance between us she still came to annoy you. But I promise it'll be the last time she does," Regina swore, approaching Emma and holding her hands.

"Why. What do you mean?" Emma asked, put off a little by Regina's mysterious words.

Regina smiled tightly. "It's all been taken care of as of yesterday." She dropped Emma's hands and went over to the cabinet. "Would you like a drink?"

"Regina, no," Emma shook her head. "I want to know how it's been taken care of. You know I don't like it when people hold back the truth from me, or aren't explicit with their statements."

Regina twisted up her lips, working her jaw as she fought with some internal decision. "I..." she cleared her throat, eyes skirting around Emma's face. "I asked my mother for help."

"And?" Emma impatiently asked. What was the big deal with that?

"Cora and Mal know each other from work back in the day. And let's say my mother has even more power than Mal does in certain issues. So, my mother sort of blackmailed Mal into leaving us alone." Regina said this all slowly, like she was building up to bad news. Emma could feel her heart racing and her palms starting to sweat. "But, my mother's help comes with a price."

"And that price is?"

Regina took a deep breath here, before letting it all out. "She told me to break up with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A terrible place to end a chapter really, but I'm pretty sure we all know there's no way Regina is actually breaking up with Emma, so don't despair.
> 
> Next time: The long awaited and accursed dinner with Cora? Emma stands up for Regina? Robin gets punched?


	11. Dinner with the (D)evil

The words stuck in Emma's throat. "And...and are you-"

Regina shook her head quickly at the visible panic on Emma's face. "I told her I did. But she never said I couldn't get back together with you. So, Emma, will you be my girlfriend again?" She grasped Emma's hands in her own.

Emma nearly sagged with relief. "Of course I will. You had me worried for a second."

"There was no way I would actually break up with you."

"But what will your mother do when she finds out we're still together?"

"Mother should have been clearer with her words," Regina shrugged unapologetically.

Emma only smiled at that, kissing Regina on her lips. She was happy they were together (again, though did the break up count if it had only been in name?) and that this Mal situation had gotten ironed out. Though there was still the issue of the dinner with Cora.

And the burning need to know more about why Mal had been so obsessed with Regina.

"Can you fill me in more on Mal? I am uncomfortable not knowing anything about the two of you," Emma said. "Especially given how insistent she was that she could get you back."

"Are you sure you want to hear the story? Won't it make you upset?"

Emma nodded her head yes. "It probably will, but I want to hear it anyways. I don't know too much about your life yet and I want to know more."

Regina acquiesced to that. "Fair is fair. I'll keep the story to the point." She sat down on the couch, patting the spot next to her for Emma to join. "Mal is my oldest customer. And she was my first one.

"When I first decided to rebel against my mother, I did it in many ways. Drugs, drinking, partying, and generally spending my early twenties wasting my parents money. It ended up not working effectively, because they just sent me away to a rehab. This was a high end rehab, where celebrities and other important people went. It was there I met Mal. She was one of my mother's 'friends'. Both of them had powerful positions and though Mal was open at her love for women, mother worked and tolerated that because of Mal's money and power.

"Mal was in rehab for drug abuse; not her first trip. There we ended up getting along because of my mother's name. And soon, we started getting along a bit too well if you catch my drift," Regina said evasively. "I had always been curious about women's bodies but I never really acted out on it because I was busy acting out in other ways and I had never really met any woman who garnered my attentions that way until Mal, who I respected at the time. She and I, dabbled in broadening our relationship into other areas. And when I finally exited rehab, I decided to get my life together, and leave the house so I could do whatever I wanted. I finally got a good paying job, and then to piss my mother off in the one way that would truly be annoying to her, I joined an escort business. Mal became one of my customers. And that leads us up to now, and her visiting.

"I knew all about her temperaments. She had never been level headed or one to do things easily. She always did grand gestures and when angered had no bounds. I expected her to be upset about my dropping the escort job, but I hadn't expected her to be  _this_  upset about it. Whatever sparks we had fizzled out a long time ago and I thought it was true on her part too but it seems I was wrong." Regina concluded this and let out a breath at finally having this all off of her chest.

Emma sat there processing everything, in the end shaking her head in wonder. "I can't believe that you were such a party animal when you were younger."

"Is it really all that shocking? I do have the nickname of evil queen. I didn't get it by being a nice or a calm person."

"I'm glad you shared this with me," Emma said, placing a hand on Regina's knee, and appreciating this open communication between the two of them. "And are you sure that Mal will stay away from us now?"

"I'm pretty sure Mal doesn't want it getting out that she used an escort service when she has a husband."

Emma's eyes bulged out. "She's married? I thought she was into women."

"No, she's only bi."

Emma shook her head. "Well, good thing she was cheating. Good for us cuz we can use it as blackmail. But bad for her husband." Honestly, Emma was glad this was over so quickly. She would be sure to keep one eye peeled in case Mal tried anything, but she was glad this situation wouldn't have to be dragged out longer than needed. Because she was kind of missing Regina too much to stay away much longer.

"So, now, we have each other to ourselves," Emma said, smiling.

"Indeed we do. And I promised I would give you endless cuddles. So, come here," she opened up her arms and Emma sunk into her hold, inhaling the smell of her perfume and letting her hands wrap around the brunette's waist.

They sat in content silence for a bit before Regina spoke up. "I hate to do this when we are relaxing like this, but we really do need to continue focusing our efforts on mother's dinner. We can't afford to look weak in front of her eyes."

"Ugh," Emma let out a groan. "I don't want to." She knew she was whining like a little child but she didn't care. She just wanted to spend time wrapped up in Regina's arms.

"Neither do I, but victory never goes to the lazy or unprepared."

"Fine," Emma acquiesced with a low groan of much effort, and allowed Regina to start to quiz her.

* * *

Emma tugged at the stiff collar of her pressed shirt in discomfort.

"Would you stop that?" Regina hissed under her breath as they strode up to the white mansion in front of them arm in arm. The family dinner was going to take place in Cora Mills' country side house and as far as Emma would tell it was already going to be over the top for no reason other than to show off how much money and influence the woman had.

"I can't stop. I'm nervous," Emma hissed back as they passed by butlers standing on the long winding paved path to the mansion. She didn't need them seeing they were fighting. Regina said they had to be on their best behavior. Which meant smiling and waving and nodding their head. That didn't sit right with Emma. But she didn't want to disappoint Regina and she didn't want Cora sticking her nose into their business anymore than she already was.

"I know you are, but mother preys on weakness. Do that, and she'll be all over you."

"God, I can't imagine how you lived with this woman," Emma muttered back.

"I didn't," was Regina's bitter response. "Under her care I floundered, suffocated. As soon as I left I was able to truly bloom."

"I'm glad you left her. But seriously, you may need to cut all ties with her. She's not a good influence on you from what I've seen," Emma stated.

"If only it would be so easy," Regina sighed out as they got to the massive double doors which opened to admit them. A butler stood there in greeting.

"The lady of the house is in the dinning room along with all the other guests. We were waiting on you," he said.

They had specifically come late so as not to have to deal with small talking the guests. The less time spent here, the better. "You ready?" Emma asked out of the corner of her mouth to Regina.

"Hm," was the response.

They followed the butler to the sound of laughing voices. When they got there, they saw rich folk sitting around a table decorated with silver and very expensive dishes prepared with utmost care. Cora sat at the head of the table and her smile froze on her face when she saw Emma there.

Emma began to sweat. That look did not bode well.

"Regina, how nice of you to join," Cora said slowly, as she got up, unwinding her body like a snake poised to strike. "And I see you've brought a guest. A guest that was not on the list."

"I'm not going to leave my girlfriend out. You did say this was a family dinner after all," Regina smiled as her hand tightened on Emma's arm, as if drawing strength from her, as if holding back her ire. Emma wouldn't have minded it if only Regina's nails weren't so sharp.

Cora's face tightened but that was the only visible sight of her incoming ire.

"Girlfriend?" gasped the other woman there, placing a hand to her mouth.

"Regina is merely joking. You know how she likes to drive me mad," Cora waved her hand.

"I sure hope she is not serious. This dinner was after all to proposition her and Robin together," said the man, his jowls quivering as he spoke.

Emma could feel anger fill her chest. There was no way she was going to allow Regina to be handed off like some possession. Not today. Not ever. She vowed she would put a stop to this.

Regina meanwhile was deciding to brush over the total denial that Emma was her girlfriend. They would make out at the table if need be just to prove a point.

"Walter, could you bring another chair and set the table for Emma as well," Regina asked the butler who nodded his head and hurried off to do that. "Emma, why don't I fill you in on whose who at the table," Regina offered with barely restrained dismissive behavior as Cora sat down, beady eyes fixated on them. "This is Robin."

"Pleasure to meet you," he said, getting up and shaking hands with Emma before going to kiss the back of Regina's hand. "And a pleasure to see you again," he winked at her and Emma felt Regina's hand on her tighten even more.

"And those are Robin's parents. Mr and Mrs. Locksley."

They merely nodded their head and mumbled out a stiff hello to Emma who awkwardly waved back. Ah, man. Why did she always get invited to awkward dinners. Walter hurried back with a seat and placed it at the only spot there was, which was between Robin and Cora, by the empty chair that was probably for Regina.

Emma tentatively took the spot by Robin, not wanting her girlfriend to have to sit by the prick, while Regina took the spot by her mother.

"Regina, who is this blonde you have brought?" asked Mr. Locksley.

"As I stated before, she's my girlfriend," Regina answered steadily but it was drowned out by Cora's louder statement. "Some common woman she hired to irritate me. To act as her 'girlfriend'."

"I am not-" Emma started to speak up.

"You are not dating her," Cora said sternly, wagging her finger at Emma. "You don't even know anything about her."

"Than try me," Emma couldn't help from challenging. She was ready for this. She had studied up on this for months.

"What is her favorite coffee?"

"A chai mocha white with soy milk and no sugar," Emma fired back.

Cora tightened her lips. "Than what is her favorite book?"

"Of Mice and Men."

"What big event happened to her in eight grade that made her cry?"

"She took her braces off."

Cora's eyes narrowed. She did not like being challenged.

But Emma only felt fired up. Regina had protected her at her terrible dinner with her ex. Emma was going to do the same here for Regina.

Cora decided to give up on Emma, which might have been more annoying, because it meant she entirely ignored Emma. Whenever Emma tried to say something intelligent to add to the conversation it went right over all of their heads.

And it was frustrating. At least Cora let her eat, though that too looked like it might get taken away any second. Just like she was telling Regina to put away certain dishes she picked up because they were too fatty. And it was beginning to really get under Emma's skin. This constant nagging and derision. Regina's eye was beginning to twitch but she wasn't saying anything which wasn't like her.

Being around her mother really did suck the life out of Regina.

Emma felt something ghost over her thigh. At first she thought it was just the table cloth but then it happened again, and it lingered with a human weight. She looked down and saw Robin's hand on her thigh. Regina wasn't lying when she said he was handsy.

She looked up at him with anger and he had the audacity to wink at her. Smiling thinly, she reached down and jabbed him in the back of his hand with her fork.

He let out a yelp and withdrew his hand quickly. This drew curious looks to him.

"Something the matter?" Mrs. Locksley asked as he rubbed his hurt hand under the table.

"Nothing, nothing," he said. He gave Emma a look as if confused that she had done that to him. She couldn't help from narrowing her eyes at him before turning back to her meal.

Regina was reaching for some potatoes and her mother watched the action with hawk like precision. As if waiting to swoop down on Regina and scold her for something.

"Regina, put that back down. You can't afford carbs if you want to keep your figure," Cora hissed at Regina who bent her head in shame and put the bowl down. "Honestly, you're eating like a pig nowadays. You've really let yourself go." This was the fifth time that Cora had told Regina to put food down in the span of this dinner. What the hell was wrong with her?

The berating went on and loud enough that everyone else could hear it.

"You really need to control your daughter more. Or else we just might move our prospects to greener pastures," said Mr. Locksley.

"She's just acting out because she needs a man to control her," Cora assured in a sickly saccharine voice to them. "And Robin is just the man for this job."

Regina was looking at her plate, boiling with anger but not saying anything. Emma looked on at worry. This was it. The final straw. She wouldn't allow her girlfriend to be disparaged any longer.

"Listen to yourselves, you sicken me," she growled out, voice rising above the rest. "Regina is not an object to be passed on to some man without her consent. And neither should you tell her to stop eating when she wants to eat something," this was directed towards Cora. "Regina is beautiful and wonderful and she doesn't deserve a witch like you as a mother. And I will not sit here and allow you to deride her any longer. You all disgust me," she got up, slamming her hands on the table at their shocked looks. And then she stormed off into the bathroom, realizing she might have just made things worse, but not caring right now because how dare they!

Raised voices erupted as soon as she left, everyone arguing over themselves.

Emma used the bathroom to get a grip on herself. She needed some air to clear her head. This was all such a mess. She gripped the sink, took in deep breaths and let them out. Feeling calmer and more motivated to see this through, she exited the room only to almost run straight into Robin's chest. He was looking her over, an appraising look in his eyes.

"Uh, hey," she awkwardly mumbled out, trying to step past him but he blocked her exit.

"You know," he started and Emma just had a feeling a very assholish thing was going to come out of his mouth. She wasn't wrong. "I don't mind marrying Regina and than having you as her side girlfriend. Girl on girl turns me on."

Wow. Such a dick thing to say. Like wow. Seriously.

"Yea, well, she's not going to marry you," Emma said.

"Yes, she is. I'm her best option. What, you think she's going to marry you?" he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Better me than you," she spat out.

"You can't take care of her properly. You're just some toy for her. And she needs a real man like me to set her right," he proclaimed.

"She doesn't need you. She doesn't need a man because she's happy with me!"

"Don't feel left out. Like I said, I'll let you join us in sex. You just need someone to show you a good time and then this whole being gay thing will be something of the past."

He...was he serious? Did he actually believe that- like- Emma couldn't even complete the thought without it pissing her off entirely.

"Let me go," she growled out, moving so he would leave her be. But he blocked her again. "What do you want? Let me go!" she said in annoyance.

"I'm not done talking to you."

"But I am. So fuck off." She made to push him with her hand but he grabbed her wrists, tight enough to bruise.

"Dude, seriously," she spat out, struggling to free herself. She wasn't opposed to kicking him but she really didn't want to make things worse for Regina than she already had. It was at this moment that the arguing down the hall got lowered as Regina exited the room in a huff, looking for her girlfriend. When she saw Robin practically on Emma, something dark rose on her face. She hurried towards them.

"Robin..." she growled out and his ears perked up at the sound of her voice. "I've put up with your unwanted advances for years- I'm used to it. But you don't get to touch Emma."

"Regina, I'm just having a chat with Emma. Right, Emma?" he asked, stupidly expecting Emma to be on his side, to lie and cover this up.

"No."

That was all it took. Regina approached them with angry strides until she was right behind Robin.

"Stay away from my girlfriend!" Regina clobbered him right in his smug face as he turned his head around to explain the situation. He immediately let go of Emma with a howl, holding his hands to his bleeding nose as he fell against the wall. Emma skirted around him to stand by Regina's side.

"You really knocked him good," she whistled in appreciation. That had been something else. She wished she could have recorded that. Recorded Regina laying into Robin good.

"I did take boxing," Regina said with a slight grimace as she shook out her fist. "Let's get out of here. I am done with this dinner. And with men," she curled her lip in distaste as Robin whimpered and hissed in pain, hands still to his nose.

Emma couldn't move fast enough. "Same."

They hurried out of the house not bothering to say goodbye to anyone. The drive home was quiet, and tense. Regina's shoulders were bunched and her hands white knuckled on the steering wheel. Emma wanted to reach over and comfort her, but she feared to make a wrong move and piss Regina off more.

Instead, she sat, tapping her fingers silently against her thigh and looking out the window as she digested everything.

When they got home, then they unpacked everything.

As Regina tossed her keys into the bowl by the door, Emma followed more slowly behind her, eyeing her girlfriend's tensed back with worry. "Regina...I'm sorry for ruining your dinner-"

"Save it. I don't want to hear it," Regina cut in angrily, pacing across the room to the window and looking out.

Emma shrunk in on herself, fearing Regina would irreparably be mad at her. She opened her mouth to try and apologize again but Regina wasn't done. "I don't want to hear you apologize. You did nothing wrong. I...we should have never agreed to go. I just...I felt like I had to because of how much influence my mother has on my life, and," she shook her head, bitter at herself. "I need to stop having contact with her. I always held hope that maybe she changed, but ever since Daddy died, it's been worse. I can't deal with this anymore. She won't accept a huge part of my identity, which is you, and I won't abide that. She can make fun of me, she can be mean to me, and she can put me through terrible trials. I'm used to it. Used to what she's done over the years. But you..." she turned to Emma with tears at the corners of her eyes.

Emma had never seen Regina shed tears. The woman was usually so strong. She wanted to wrap her in her arms and wipe the tears away. So she did just that. The brunette felt small in her arms. Deflated.

"...not you," Regina finished, her voice hoarse.

"It's okay. I'm strong too," Emma assured into Regina's hair. She held her so tight she could feel the brunette's heart beating against her own chest.

"You shouldn't have to deal with this. I'm going to find a way to protect us. I promise. No more relying on my mother for help. For anything. I should have done this a long time ago but I was always scared to. Because she was the only family I had left. But now, I have you," Regina said, looking up into Emma's eyes with so much love.

"And I won't ever let you go," Emma promised. She lifted Regina's chin up lightly so their lips could meet in a soft kiss. A soft kiss that conveyed so much. Trust. Love. Kindness. And loyalty.

They pulled apart, smiling softly and both with eyes shimmering with emotion.

"I promise," Emma whispered against Regina's lips before leaning down to kiss her softly again.

* * *

Getting rid of Cora wouldn't be an easy feat but Regina was determined to cut that woman out of her life for once and for all. And Emma was only too happy to stand by her side and support her as she did this.

"How are you going to do this?" she asked, as she passed Regina a cup of coffee to keep her up as the woman peered at papers.

"My mother's tricky. She has a lot of power, but if I stoop to her level, than I can succeed."

That alerted Emma in not a positive manner. "You're stooping to her level?"

"Not entirely. I just mean blackmailing. I know all the shitty things my mom has done to other people, to companies, etc. And I think it's time that dirt was unearthed." Because Cora had done some questionable things. Some illegal things.

"You are evil," Emma said with a low whistle. She wasn't judging Regina for her methods. Sometimes being rude was needed if only to get rid of negative influences.

"I didn't get my escort name by being good," Regina said. "I didn't want to have to do this, but if worst comes to worst, I can always turn Mal on mother."

"That sounds like it could get messy," Emma commented, certain of this. And it would also be dramatic. More drama than they needed right now. Honestly, let the sleeping dragon sleep. No point in dragging Mal in unless it was the last resort.

"So let's hope it doesn't get to that point," Regina tapped the papers together conclusively.

Untangling Regina from the clutches of her mother was not a quick process and Emma did her own part with helping. She did this by trying to reverse the damage Cora did by telling Regina to always watch her weight and not to eat certain foods.

Emma thought Regina beautiful no matter what and she wanted her to enjoy her meals without feeling guilty. All of this was a slow process but as the months passed, something had to give and Cora finally surrendered the claws she had sunk into Regina. This was a battle that Emma didn't really see much of. It wasn't by any means a noteworthy or movieworthy battle. Most of it was done through passive aggressive phone calls and emails and in Regina moving out to a new location, one her mother didn't know of. There were legal actions taken and debates done between lawyers on matters that Emma stuck her nose out of because it was personal and not her business to know.

"I hope you're happy," Cora had spat at Emma as the last legal meeting between Regina and Cora took place. "You took my daughter away from me."

Emma was not frightened by the hate she could see in those brown orbs. "I didn't do that. You did it. You took your own daughter away from you by driving her away with your spiteful actions."

Cora looked mad enough to spit at that but short of launching herself at Emma, there was nothing else she could do. It was over. She was done. Erased from Regina's future.

"Let's go home Emma," Regina said, waiting for Emma by the door already.

"Regina, aren't you even going to say anything more to your mother," Cora turned to Regina, trying to play one last game, trying to tear some of Regina with her for one last time.

"I have nothing more to say to you," Regina said coolly as the lawyers walked past with their briefcases. Emma hurried to go to her and together, hand in hand they began to walk home.

There was a feeling of freedom to them. Of anything is possible. They had both cut the dead weight out of their lives once and for all. Emma Lily and Regina Cora. Regina's shoulders were high and she tilted her head up to the sky, sighing out and unburdening herself with that exhaled breath. "I finally am free of her. I can do what I want, without having to worry about her. Without having to do things to please her and her agenda."

"So, what do you want to do first?" Emma asked as a breeze blew her hair past her. It had taken them five months to do all this. Five long laborious months. But it was done, and they sure as hell needed to celebrate.

"I'm not sure yet," Regina answered before smiling widely. "And that's the beauty of it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: ?


	12. Weddings and Happily Afters (This Time)

_6 months later_

The dance hall they were at wasn't too big but it was perfect for an intimate event. Which is what Ruby and Belle wanted.

A buffet table stood to the side and that was where Emma predictably was, helping herself to hearty servings. But she would have to eat carefully. Already she had spilled some wine onto her white tux. Thankfully, it had been wine white so it wasn't that visible, (but still, why was she such a clumsy mess? Wait, wasn't it Regina's fault? The woman had grabbed her thigh under the table and caused Emma to sputter into her glass, spilling it. Emma narrowed her eyes. Hmm, she would have to get Regina back for that).

"Someone's hungry," Regina commented easily. Her own plate was full. Lately Regina had been eating fuller meals and Emma loved it. The woman looked happier and healthier, gaining a little extra that went right to her ass, which was perfect since Emma loved grabbing it possessively in bed.

Really, that thing was a weapon. And when Regina was only wearing a tong...Emma wasn't leaving the bed.

"Yea, well how could I not be, given the exercise you gave me."

They had fucked before coming here. Regina had seen Emma in her tailored white suit and had grabbed her forcefully and undressed her, paying no mind to the effort Emma had taken to dressing up or to styling her hair.

They were almost late to the wedding.

The memory of Regina's hot kisses make Emma rub the back of her neck where her hair was now shorter. It was up to her chin and it gave Regina open access to her neck.

"Don't act like you weren't guilty. How can you walk in a suit like that and not expect me to want to fuck you?" Regina asked, not at all quietly. It made Aurora blush, her having just arrived next to them on line, Mulan hanging onto her arm. The Asian woman was looking flushed. She had probably drank and now that was why she was swaying slightly and her cheeks were red.

"Uh, dude, I can hear you," Aurora blushed, shifting uncomfortably. Regina saw her and rolled her eyes. Aurora was wearing a dress that looked like it was made from burlap and she had a flower crown on her head, her long blonde hair curling down her bare shoulders. Mulan had at least dressed up in a white shirt and tight black pants with a bowtie that was looking a bit lopsided.

Regina turned to her with a deadly smirk. "Good. I want everyone to know how much I enjoy fucking Emma."

This time Emma flushed as well. While she was by no means shy about what she did in bed, she just didn't want to share that outside of the mattress. But, Regina loved sharing conquests because it was her way of showing off that Emma was hers.

"Whose fucking?" Mulan asked in a slightly slurred voice.

Before Regina could say it louder, Emma put a hand on her arm to stop the brunette, and changed the topic. "How's everything?"

Over the course of the past six months, Emma has grown closer to Aurora because of discussing how toxic Lily has become. She texted mean things to Aurora after their break up, even going so far as to break into her apartment to trash her stuff, but the blonde stayed strong with mutual understanding from Emma and with support from Mulan who fought to keep her by her side. The two of them have been going strong for months now and Lily has finally fucked off and gone to do who knows what.

Last Emma saw of her was her getting kicked out of a club for drunk behavior. She was glad now more than ever for being done with that part of her life.

Regina too has toned down her dislike of Aurora though they may never be friends like Emma is with the hippie.

"It's been chill, man," she said in her signature slow talk. "Mulan's a bit buzzed here so we're getting food so she can still have a good time, man."

"I recommend the chicken tandoori. It's really good," Emma said. "It's my second time going up to get it."

"Thanks, dudette," Aurora smiled at Emma. Even her colloquialisms have grown on Emma and she doesn't wince like she once would have. She and Regina move on to their table while the music playing slows down for a special dance reserved for the newlyweds. The lights dim and a spotlight fall on two women in the middle of the dance hall. The space has cleared out for them.

Emma watches with a warm smile as Belle goes up in her dress, the tiny beads on it shining brilliantly. Ruby strides up to her, looking dashing in her black suit, with a red tie to match the slight red streaks in her hair.

"The first time we meet was at a wedding," Regina brings up as the dance continues.

"Can you believe how far things have gone since then?" Emma said as she laces her fingers together with Regina's on the table. "I didn't think we'd end up dating."

So much has changed since the first time they meet, since they slept together.

Emma's moved into Regina's apartment. It's a penthouse one, and where it had once been neat and devoid of personal affects, now it was brimming with photos of them together, with Emma's clothes and her posters and books. With their laughter into the late hours, and with their moans as they proved their love to one another over and over again. With the smell of cooking food. With promises and plans and hopes for the bright future.

Regina has long dropped her escort job and she finally divulged to Emma she works in the marketing sector for Gold's company and that it's really more boring than intriguing. She's also cut off contact with her mother and successfully kept it cut off, as her mother had filled her head with too many toxic ideas. Had ruined her self worth. But that is why Emma is there. To build Regina up with soft words of praise. To make her feel whole again just like Regina has made Emma feel like she has truly come into her own.

"Stranger things have happened but I am glad to have met you," Regina assures and they kiss softly before silently watching the rest of Belle's and Ruby's dance. When the two newlyweds finish they kiss lightly and make way over to Emma's table.

"Congratulations on the nuptials," Regina says.

"It was about time Ruby put a ring on it," Emma jokes. "The girl's been head over heels for you since day one. I'm surprised she didn't wife you up all the way back in high school."

"I couldn't afford a wedding back then."

"Now I feel put out. Everyone is getting married around me," Emma playfully pouts. "You and Belle, David and Mary. And I bet Aurora and Mulan are next. Mulan already gave Aurora a ring."

"Yea I heard about that," Ruby snorts. "And can you believe she turned it down and said if Mulan wanted to propose to her it would have to be with a wooden ring, because 'she didn't support the monopoly of the diamond industry'," Ruby said, making air quotes and mimicking a hippie voice.

"Sounds like her," Belle said with a brief nod of her head.

"Diamonds are overrated anyways," Regina announced.

"Did we ever find out how Mulan got Aurora to start dating her?" Belle asked. It had all begun quite randomly that one night at Emma's birthday party.

"Something about a joke. I think it went like this: if a cow is a mooer and a dog is a barker, than what is a lion?" Emma asked, waiting for her friends to come up with an answer.

When they had none, she supplied one. "A roarer."

Looks of understanding dawned on their faces, along with shakes of the head. "Wow, that joke is so bad," Ruby said, "But I guess Aurora liked it."

"Enough to get engaged to Mulan," Belle replied.

"I'm glad you aren't the sort to make terrible puns," Regina patted Emma's hand. "Because that is a deal breaker."

"Oh really?" Emma teased and she, Regina, Ruby and Belle, got into a debate over the merits of puns and if they were a travesty on human kind or not.

After the wedding is over, Regina and Emma head back home, drunk and enamored by love. They kiss as they come in, Regina cupping Emma's cheeks and pulling her toward the bedroom while Emma pulls her jacket off and loosens her tie before kicking her shoes off. Regina lands flat on the bed, wrapping her ankles around Emma who hovers over her.

Regina's manicured hands reach down to start unbuttoning Emma's pants when they brush against a bump in her pants. "Excited to see me?' she purrs coyly and Emma chuckles into the dark of the room, kissing Regina lightly on the lips before she pulls back a little and removes the bump from her pocket. She opens it up, revealing a ring shining brightly.

Regina pauses, eyes wide. "Emma...?" she softly trails off. She sits up, Emma kneeling in front of her as the brunette takes the ring box and just stares at it.

"Ruby and Belle getting married made me realize that I wanted to do the same with you. I wasn't going to propose like this. There were going to be flowers and champagne and a romantic hot air balloon flight but after tonight, I just can't wait anymore." She paused, swallowing nervously. "Regina Mills, will you marry me?" she asked quietly, wiping her hands anxiously against her pants legs.

The few seconds it takes Regina to answer feel like an eternity.

"Emma, of course I'll marry you," she said smiling at her with tears building in the corners of her eyes. "Put this on me."

Emma did gladly, sliding the delicate ring with a emerald onto Regina's ring finger. Then she kissed the back of her hand, letting their fingers lace together. Regina couldn't stop smiling and then she leaned in to kiss Emma, smiling and sniffling as a tear slipped free from her eye.

"Don't cry," Emma whispered, catching the tear with her free hand and wiping it away. She had never imagined Regina would cry over something like this.

"Why shouldn't I? When I'm happy," was the response. "I'm glad to be Mills-Swan now."

"Actually," Emma chuckled against Regina's smooth lips. "I was thinking you could be Swan-Mills."

"Hmm, really?" Regina hummed, biting down gently on Emma's lower lip. "Maybe you'll have to convince me of that."

"Happily," Emma replied, pushing Regina down to the covers again and biting her way down her neck as she rucked up her dress with one hand while Regina undid Emma's pants. Their clothes made a pile on the floor until skin on skin could meet.

This time their love making was tender, as if trying to capture and elongate the joy and longing they felt for one another in their heart. Emma kissed her way down Regina's stomach and to her womanhood, licking up and down until the woman was screaming her name and coming hard against the flat of her tongue. Emma licked everything up and then kissed her way back up to Regina's mouth where they indulged in a loving kiss, tasting each other with probing tongues.

"I want to feel you inside me," Regina whispered and Emma was more than happy to comply. She held herself before guiding her way slowly inside Regina's wetness. She felt so silky and her walls clenched greedily on Emma, wrapping and adjusting to the feel of being around her. Emma began to determine a steady pace and all the time, Regina's hand with the engagement ring held tight onto Emma's hand, never letting go.

Their soft groans and moans of pleasure filled the air and nails raked down Emma's back as Regina's hips began to chase Emma's own hips, their motions quickening as they began to reach their crest. They came together, Emma biting down hard on Regina's exposed collarbone because even though the ring marks her as hers, she wants to mark her all over so everyone knows to whom Regina belongs to wholeheartedly.

Once the haze of their arousal leaves them, Emma collapses onto her side and pulls Regina into a cuddle, becoming the big spoon for once. "So, did I convince you?" she asks, kissing the back of her neck lightly.

"I think you might. Swan-Mills has a nice ring to it," Regina comments drowsily.

"I'm still taking you on that hot air balloon ride."

"And what about the wedding?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead," Emma admits.

"You better not make it sappy. Or I'll leave you at the altar," she warns and Emma snuggles in closer.

"Oh, it's going to be downright sickening how sappy it'll be. Mary and David's Disney themed wedding will seem mild compared to it."

Regina swatted Emma playfully on the thigh, laughing. "You better not." She turned in Emma's hold, letting their noses brush together. "You know," she started thoughtfully, "We're engaged and yet we haven't said the three magical words yet."

"How are you?" Emma asks, feigning innocence.

Regina swats her again, this time on the shoulder. "You know what I mean."

"I do. But I thought the ring would already say that for me."

"I want to hear it from your lips," Regina said, sliding her hand through Emma's newly shortened locks. Regina had let her own hair grow and it was up to her shoulder blades now. It lent her a softer appearance.

"I love you. I love you, Regina," Emma whispered because the words were heavy with meaning and truth and to say them any louder would shatter the world around them.

Regina smiles so widely it looks like it hurts.

"And I love you, Emma."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And now the story has come full circle. Thank you to everyone for reading, and for leaving your wonderful reviews. This story ends here, but if you want more G!P Emma I am writing another prompt fic called Of Pirates and Princesses that's being posted shortly.


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